Browsing: Softball

Riley Hunt, a local Softball student-athlete from Matoaca High School and plays for the Ironbridge Breeze Fastpitch team has been selected by STUDENTathleteWorld to represent the United States in the 2017 Softball tour an International Sporting Competition to be held in Apeldoorn, Netherlands in July 2017. Student-athletes are chosen for the team based on a combination of their athletic ability as well as their academics, leadership ability, and character. The trip includes not only the international sport competition but also sightseeing and opportunities for personal growth and leadership development through international travel. For more information on STUDENTathleteWorld, please visit www.STUDENTathleteWorldTours.com.

A trio of Thomas Dale diamond standouts recently announced their commitments to continue their athletic and academic careers. Rising senior and reigning Village News softball player of the year Lauryn King is committed to West Virginia Wesleyan.  Abby Nyquist, also a rising senior, is going to Christopher Newport.  Taylor Byrd, a 2016 graduate,  will attend William Peace University in Raleigh, North Carolina. King, an outfielder, has been described as a five-tool player. In baseball and softball, that’s an athlete that hits for both average and power, while running the bases well, displaying good arm strength, and fielding their position well.…

Lacey Waldrop has accomplished an awful lot in a short period of time. In the past five years, she completed a standout softball career at Florida State, won National Player of the Year honors as a junior, and a championship with the Chicago Bandits of the National Professional Fast Pitch League. Now, it’s onto accomplishing another dream. Waldrop served as a sideline reporter for Fox Sports South’s broadcast of the ACC softball tournament’s quarter and semi-finals. “I’m always a little nervous before, but then you start talking,” Waldrop explained. “It comes naturally, because I’m talking about something I’ve been involved…

After two standout seasons in Richard Bland’s softball program, former L.C. Bird infielder Kimberly Ellis will leave RBC with more than an associate’s degree, she will leave with top honors on the field as well. The sophomore earned First Team All Region X honors along with Prince George’s Whitney Clements for the Statesmen. Known as a defender at second base for RBC, Ellis also hit .297, using her speed to leg out two triples and steal eight bases while driving in 18 runs. Her fielding percentage of .931 ranked second among all starters. Like other locals, Ellis will look to…

New Meadowbrook softball coach Lisa Keys inherits a program that has struggled for some time now. Once proud, the program has been in a state of rebuilding. Keys is here to change this. “I took this job to grow the program,” said Keys. “My coaching philosophy is physical-mental-emotional development in perfect alignment at once.” A pitching coach for 25 years and a former college coach at the Brigham Young University-Hawaii, she appears to have the credentials and experience to get the job done. Though the program has been down, the cupboard is not devoid of talent. Keys has three players…

Matoaca will bring a young team to the table in 2016. The loss of two big time seniors in Allie Fitzke and Taylor Patterson will hurt, but second-year coach Greg Hunt has a number of younger players ready to go, and a sophomore hurler that will be the center piece of the program for the next three seasons, Katie Higgins. Higgins dominated youth leagues prior to hitting varsity, and replaced Matoaca all-time great Jessica McCabe after she ascended to the next level at James Madison University. As a freshman, she showed her true capabilities as she twirled a one hit…

The Knights (16-5) took a trip to regionals, navigating through an ultra competitive Conference 3 last season on a dramatic home run by First Team All-Conference 3 honoree and catcher Hunter Vay to sink the Rapids of James River. While they fell to Forest Park in 6A South regionals, they’ll be looking to push back to that point despite a younger roster and relatively inexperienced pitching staff. Nathan Eaton, last year’s staff ace and Tommy Barron, the team’s number two pitcher have moved on the next level at VMI and Randolph-Macon respectively. Corey Johnston is also a Keydet and Cody…

The Florida State Seminoles, led by Lacey Waldrop were able to repeat as ACC Tournament Champions for the second straight season. The Seminoles swept three games in Blacksburg, Va., last weekend defeating Boston College, North Carolina State and Pitt for the crown. Waldrop picked up her 28th win of the season pitching four innings and allowing two earned runs in the first round to Boston College, striking out seven Eagles. Though her second two starts in the tournament did not go as smoothly, she was supported by excellent relief pitching by Jessica Burroughs, a redshirt sophomore. Burroughs combined to pitch…

L.C. Bird alum Tatyana Jordan continued her softball and academic career at Virginia State University. The outfielder’s freshman season was a great success. The former Skyhawk hauled in CIAA All-Rookie Team and All-Tournament honors for the 2015 season. Jordan hit .364 during her first year, driving in 11 runs and stealing four bases in the 23 games she appeared in, typically coming off the bench. Two three-hit games were recorded by Jordan – the first coming against Lincoln on March 29, a game where she also drove in four runs. The freshman was 5-7 (.714) in the CIAA tournament, rapping…