With a team as young as William Monroe’s softball squad, it’s obvious the potential is there. Friday night though, a seasoned Skyline squad overpowered the Dragons and picked up a 6-0 victory.
Faced with a short preseason and a 12-player roster packed with six sophomores and freshmen, the 2-2 Dragons are looking to come together while simultaneously build for the future.
“The two seniors [Kaitlyn Napier and Timberlee Eppard Hoffman] are definitely leaders on the field, but at this day in age, it is all do it together instead of telling them what to do,” said coach Greg Breeden.
Sophomore Kiley McGuire and senior Lexi Clatterbuck each hit home runs for the Hawks. With McGuire’s blast, she brought in two runs, pushing the Skyline lead to 2-0 at the top of the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Clatterback came up and found her pitch, sending the ball out of the park for a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning.
But those two hits were really the only mistakes the the Dragons made. Before and after, Monroe got locked in and made solid plays at first, home, and third base to ensure that the Hawks did not turn the game into a rout. Despite giving up the two critical home runs, the Dragons, without a doubt, played solid and continued to show the promise that helped power them to a 2-1 start coming into the contest.
“We’ve got a good way to go, but with the athletic ability that we have, it is not going to be long before you’re going to be hearing about us winning more,” said Breeden.
The Dragons are leaning on a ninth grade pitcher in Avery Shifflett who and a ton of players poised to return next year at other critical positions. With that being said, there is still time to improve and stack some more wins this year.
“This whole team will stay intact. We’ve got a few kinks we need to work out, but I am hopeful,” said Breeden.
The Dragons host Central Woodstock Tuesday night.
