Dillon Christian softball team mixing youth, experience
Standout Lillie Shooter has signed with Barton College
Dillon – The Dillon Christian School softball team has a mix of veterans and youth under first-year head coach Kevin McKenzie. The formula served the Warriors well through spring break as they had an 8-6 overall record and were 2-2 in SCISA Region 3-AAA.
“I didn’t know what to expect to start the season,” McKenzie said. “We have experience but also a lot of youth.”
The experience comes up the middle on defense. Senior catcher Presley McKenzie is a 5-year starter, senior Lillie Shooter is one of two pitchers, and senior Kara Hunt is the shortstop.
Freshman Fraley Britt plays third base and bats leadoff, while eighth-grader Caitlyn Owens starts in center field and bats second. Hunt is in the 3 hole while Shooter, who has signed to play with Barton College, bats cleanup.
McKenzie is batting fifth, junior rightfielder Braylon Carter sixth, freshman second baseman Madelyn Willis seventh, senior first baseman Story Lane eighth, and eighth-grade leftfielder Kennedy Hunt ninth.
Sophomore Kaden Richardson shares pitching duties with Shooter.
we do our best to split time with both pitchers game for game, no matter who we play,” said Coach McKenzie. “We have confidence in both,”
Dillon Christian was getting a major test coming out of spring break. The Warriors were taking on 4-time defending state champion Pee Dee Academy on both April 14 and April 16.
DCS BASEBALL STARTS 2-9
The Dillon Christian baseball team got off to a slow start, winning just two of its first 11 games. It was 2-6 in region play.’
The most consistent batting order has shortstop Gray Easterling leading off, pitcher/infielder Jordan Blackmon hitting second, leftfielder Hayden Moody hitting third and centerfielder Ethan Moody batting cleanup.
Third baseman Rylee Martin is in the 5 hole, second baseman Braylon Parker is sixth, first baseman Keaton Bailey is seventh, catchier Bryce Bailey is eighth, and rightfielder Jackson Shooter is ninth.
Blackmon was hitting over .400 with five home runs and is the primary starting pitcher. He had four starts and worked 17 innings with 17 strikeouts.
Easterling had worked 10 1/3 innings
“We’re still working to find consistency, but we’ve seen improvement and growth from our group compared to last season,” said head coach Tony Blackmon. “We’ve competed well in our region games, and if we continue to develop on the mound and clean things up defensively, we feel like we can make a push late in the season.”
