Green Wave Softball fell just short
Melanie Edwards is one of three talented seniors the Summerville Softball Team will have to replace next season.
By Roger Lee
Contributing Writer
Summerville – A third consecutive story-book ending wasn’t in the cards for the Summerville Softball Team after all.
The Green Wave entered the 2025 season as the two-time defending state champion and riding a serious winning streak. Just when it was looking like the team was destine for a third straight title, Byrnes declared “not so fast” and defeated Summerville in the final two games of the 5A, Division 1 Softball Championship Series.
Still, Summerville has a lot to celebrate. The Green Wave won 83 straight games, claiming four straight region championships, three Lower State Championships and two state titles in the process.
Senior pitcher Ansley Bennett, the two-time defending Gatorade South Carolina Softball Player of the Year, was recently named the state’s 5A Player of the Year, 5A Region 8 Player of the Year and selected for both the South Carolina Association of Women’s Sports 2025 5A Softball All-State Team and 2025 North-South All-Star Series.
“Ansley remains poised even in big moments,” said Summerville coach Heather Tucker. “When things start to get heavy she keeps it light and just goes out there and does her thing.”
Bennett has signed to play for the University of South Carolina next school year. This season she only surrendered 51 hits and 14 earned runs while striking out 199 batters and putting only 19 on due to balls. She has a .683 ERA.
At the plate this season, Bennett had a .471 batting average, .567 on base percentage and 0.794 slugging percentage. She had 50 hits including 12 doubles and seven home runs, 34 RBIs and scored 41 runs.
Junior short stop Katie Guilliam was also named to the 5A Softball All-state Team. She had a .495 batting average, .588 on base percentage and .850 slugging percentage. She had 55 hits including 14 doubles, three triples and six home runs, 32 RBIs and scored 31 runs.
Senior catcher Abby Driscoll, who has signed to play for the College of Charleston next school year, was also selected to participate in the North-South All-star Series. This season she had a .360 batting average, .459 on base percentage and .472 slugging percentage. She had 36 hits including seven doubles, a triple and a homerun, 20 RBIs and scored 26 runs.
In addition to Bennett and Guilliam, third baseman/pitcher Daphne Frady, first baseman Melanie Edwards and middle infielder Maeven Moreno also received all-region honors.
Bennett, Driscoll and Edwards are the team’s only seniors. Other members of the team are Hope Chase, Jayden Bennett, Ryanne Harley, Brintley Parker, Gracelyn Cantrell, Summer Knight, Haylee Sexton.
Summerville Baseball
The Summerville Baseball Team finished with a 21-10 record and placed third in its region. During the playoffs, the Green Wave defeated Cane Bay, twice, and Sumter. However the team was eliminated with two losses to Fort Dorchester.
Cody Landis, Cooper Gaskins, Shep Cadwell and Chase Lewis all finished with a batting average above .300. Aiden Vorlick, Drew Hayes, Cadwell and Landis all had an on-base percentage of .400 or higher.
Vorlick had a team-high four homeruns and Banks Knight had a team-high two triples. Landis, Cadwell, Lewis and Hayes all had 20 or more hits.
Green Wave Track
Senior Nikki Brown won the Girls Pole Vault with a 3.48 mark during the South Carolina 5A, Division 1 Track and Field Championships hosted by Spring Valley May 17. Two other athletes also recorded a 3.48 mark, but Brown won on tiebreaker criteria. Junior Taylor Blackwelder won the 3200 race with an 11:13.45 time.
Other Summerville athletes placing for the Green Wave included Warren Nelson (2nd Boys High Jump/13th Boys Long Jump), Julian Covington (3rd Boys 110 Hurdles/10th Boys 400 Hurdles), Nick Alberti (4th Boys 1600), Trinity Jones (6th Girls 100 Dash), A’zedah Anderson (13th Girls 100/14th Girls 200), Camryn Dillings (6th Girls 400), Jillian Fickling (5th Girls 100/5th Girls 400 Hurdles), Destinee Grant (7th Girls High Jump), Kailey Lancia (15th Girls Long Jump), Addilyn Elrod (7th Girls Pole Vault), Hunter Schultz (12th Boys 200), David Greer (6th Boys 3200), Xavier White (15th Boys Triple Jump) and Gryson Greenway (8th Boys Javelin).
Other honors
Summerville Girls Soccer goal keeper Addison Rollinson has been named to the South Carolina Soccer Coaches Association 2025 5A All-State Team.
