Orangeburg Prep softball team has had good moments and bad moments
Indians baseball team had to replace entire lineup from AAA state runner-up
Orangeburg – After the Orangeburg Preparatory School softball team completed a 3-game sweep of Thomas Sumter Academy with a 23-5, 4-inning victory on March 27, head coach Jan Stoudenmire was pleased with the result.
“The girls are playing better,” said Stoudenmire, who is back in the OP dugout after being away from it the past three seasons. “We started off with not too much practice (because the girls basketball team played for the SCISA AAA state championship), but they are coming on strong. It doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish. They’ll come on strong.”
The Indians have struggled since that sweep though, losing four straight prior to spring break. They were swept by defending AA runner-up Dorchester Academy in a 3-game non-region series and also lost to defending Class A state champion Holly Hill Academy.
Coming out of spring break, OP lost a 3-game region series to Calhoun Academy. The Indians lost two of three games to defending AAA state runner-up Clarendon Hall in their first Region 1 series. Orangeburg Prep finished 4-5 in region play and was 5-9 overall.
“We’re just trying to figure ourselves out right now,” Stoudenmire said. “I’m really proud of them. They did a good job and have come on strong. They didn’t give up when they got behind in some games in the beginning.”
Orangeburg Prep had just four returning starters in the batting order. The Indians are led by senior shortstop Prestan Schurlknight and senior catcher Hannah Lambrecht, both of whom are 4-year starters.
Schurlknight owned a .536 batting average in the early going of the season. Lambrecht was batting .444.
“We’ve got two really good leaders in Prestan Schurlknight and Hannah Lambrecht behind the plate,” Stoudenmire said. “Prestan is signed and going to Lander to play with her sister (Payton Schurlknight), and Hannah is probably the best catcher in the region. They both can just crush the ball.
“They’re just two good players, two good leaders, and the rest of them just follow behind them. We’ve got some good, little, young ones.”
The other two returning starters are junior Calee Hartzog and sophomore Natalie Hall. Hartzog, who is playing second base, was batting .419, while Hall was leading the team with a .593 average.
Hall is in her first year as a pitcher after starting in the outfield as a freshman. She’s had some ups and downs, but Stoudenmire believes Hall is going to end up being a standout in the circle.
“She’s really come on strong, and she’s just going to get better and better and better because she’s only a sophomore,” Stoudenmire said of Hall, who allowed just three earned runs in the final game against Thomas Sumter. “She enjoys it, and she’s a competitor, so you’ve got to have that person in the circle.
“This is her first time pitching. She worked hard this summer. She just decided this summer that she wanted to get better. She got some pitching lessons, and she did really, really well, and we’ve been very, very pleased with what she’s done.”
The newcomers to the lineup are senior Emma Grace Burleson, sophomore Addison Nivens, freshman Marisa Griffith, eighth-grader Haley Williams and eighth-grader Allie Reese Tolbert.
Other members of the team are senior Audrey O’Neal, sophomore June Smith and eighth-grader Alyssa Williams.
Stoudenmire Is being assisted by her daughter, Barkley McNair, Angie Patterson and Alan Ulmer.
The focus for the Indians over the rest of the month is to being playing their best when the state tournament at Sumter’s Patriot Park SportsPlex rolls around in early May.
“We’re going to get better,” Stoudenmire said. “We just want to get ready for the state tournament. We want to be playing good in May.”
BASEBALL TEAM HAS STARTED OVER
After going 27-5 last season and playing in the AAA state championship series, the Orangeburg Prep baseball team had to start this season anew. With the loss of 10 players to graduation, the Indians have basically a new roster this year with just one returning player. They won nine of their first 16 contests.
The Indians finished 4-5 in region play afer getting swept in a 3-game series with Calhoun Academy after spring break. Like the softball team, they went 1-2 against Clarendon Hall before sweeping Thomas Sumter.
The Indians are 9-8 overall.
Junior Marshall Livingston was leading the way offensively with a .410 average. Sophomore Cholly Williams as batting .375, Junior Parker Gray was batting .346, and junior Maxx Judy was batting .326.
Other regular members of the lineup are freshman Grayson Smith, sophomore Council Burroughs, junior Blake Inabinet, senior Saylor Kittrell, the lone returning player to the team, junior Chris Jackson and sophomore Tillman Zeigler.
Kittrell, Williams, freshman Cam Jolley and Livingston have been getting most of the innings on the mound.
Other members of the team are junior George Albergotti, junior Walker Garrick and junior Conner Temples.
GIRLS TRACK HAS 4 NEW SCHOOL RECORDS
The Orangeburg Prep girls track and field team, which is in search of a sixth straight state championship, has already set four new school records this season.
Two came in individual events while records have been set in two of the three relay events.
`Freshman Blakely Garrick now holds the record in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute, 9.08 seconds. Sophomore Naomi McCutchen is the new record holder in the javelin with a toss of 87 feet, 6 inches.
McCutchen also runs legs on the record-setting 4x100- and 4x400-meter relay teams. The 4x1 team had a time of 51.15 seconds. She is joined on the team by junior Mary Legare Delaney, junior Gee Gee Riley and sophomore Morgan Gue.
The 4x4 team now holds the school record with a time of 4:14.91. McCutchen, Delaney, Riley and Garrick make up the team.
