Central softball, bseball teams hoping to make push for AA state playoffs
Softball winless in first four region games; baseball starts 2-4
Pageland – The season hasn’t started the way hoped for by the Central High School softball team. After going 7-16 last season, the Eagles lost their first nine games with four of those being Region 4-AA contests.
Still, assistant coach D.J. Middleton thinks a good season can be had by CHS.
“As a team I feel we have made great strides this season, and if that hard work pays off, I feel confident that we can find our way back to the playoffs this season,” said Middleton, the son of head coach Steve Middleton. “I feel our program is definitely headed in a positive direction with young, promising arms.”
The top arm for eighth-grade left-handed pitcher Ava McManus. “She’s our ace right now,” Middleton said of McManus, who pitched mostly on the junior varsity level last season. She las great potential as a lefty ace.
Senior Aubree Branham, who worked close to 60 innings last season, is back but has been limited by an injury. Sophomore Blaire Butler and junior Tashia Quick are also available In the circle.
The rest of the starting lineup has Butler at catcher, sophomore Farrah Price at first base, senior Madison Blakeney at third, Quick at shortstop, sophomore Ashariya Myers in center field and junior Rielyn Chambers in right.
When healthy, Branham is platooning with sophomore Johniya Hough at second. Hough could also see some time in left with junior Jasmine McMillan and sophomore D’Loreya Smith.
Quick, and All-Region selection last season, is batting leadoff. She had a .436 batting average last season with two home runs. McManus is second with Butler in the 3 hole and Blakeney, who had the most runs batted in for returning players with 17, is in the cleanup slot. Price is fifth followed by Hough, Myers, McMillan and Chambers.
Substitutes are sophomore first baseball Sha’Ieshia Walls and eighth-grade second baseman/courtesy runner Arianna Wilson. Eighth-grader Bentlee Doster is on the roster, but she is likely put for the season with a knee injury.
“I believe this team has shown the commitment needed and put in the off-season work to make positive improvements and take the next steps,” Middleton said.
BASEBALL TEAM STARTS 5-9
The Central baseball team won five of its first 14 games and opened 2-4 in region play.
Logan Olney was leading the Eagles in hitting with a .444 average. He had also drawn 10 walks, giving him an on-base percentage of .565 in 46 plate appearances He had two doubles, a home run, eight RBI and 11 runs.
Cody Branham had a .333 average to go with a team high 13 RBI. He had three doubles, a triple and two homers. Aidan Welch was batting .364 with two doubles and eight runs.
Trey Moffitt was batting .286 with two homers, Dylan Tomberlin was batting .278 with four doubles, Cotton Threatt was batting .250, and Cohen Phillips was batting .206,
MJ Allen was batting .444 in nine at-bats, but he had scored 13 runs and stolen bases while serving as a courtesy runner.
Head coach Trent Strickland was divvying the innings up between six pitchers. Moffitt had worked 14 innings, Threatt 13, Branham 11 2/3, Olney 11, Cooper Catoe 10 and Jackson Coleman nine. Moffitt had the best earned run average at 3.00 while Threatt had a 4.31 ERA.
