Very Young Dillon Softball Team Focused On Daily Improvement
By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Dillon—Starting two 7th graders, and two 8th graders, was not in the plans for Dillon head softball coach Stevie Grice as he made plans for the 2025 team. after a 2024 deep play-off run, that saw the Wildcats lose to Aynor, 1-0, in the AAA lower state finals a year ago.
“We had three experienced players decide not to return to the program for various reasons,” said Coach Grice, who also runs a very successful summer travel softball program. “In my four years as the head softball at Dillon this is by far our youngest team.
“We are very young, and we are making way too many errors right now,” said Coach Grice. “We have had very close games with several teams through five innings, or so, and then we give up four runs in the 6th inning like we did against Heritage, Tennessee. In our game against Chesterfield, we are winning 4-3 late in the game and then we give up 8 runs, late in the game when we made six errors that contributed to those unearned runs, and we ended up losing 14-4.
“Our goal is to keep working hard every day in practice, and control the things we can control,” said Coach Grice. “We must shore up our defense, and work on helping the younger players get more comfortable in competition. I realize, with some player departures we have had to throw some 7th and 8th graders in the fire, so to speak. Hopefully, we will be playing our best softball come play-off time.”
After 8 games of the season Dillon is 4-4, despite only having two seniors on the team. The Wildcats have wins over Socastee, Wilson Hall, Carolina Academy and St. Johns out of Washington DC. Their four losses have come against SCISA AAAA champion Laurence Manning, East Clarendon, Heritage Hall of Tennessee, and Chesterfield.
The team is led by senior “Coach on the Field” Cierra Grice, a four-time HSSR all-state selection who is among the most versatile players in South Carolina. Grice is a signee to the softball program at Presbyterian College where her older sister, Logan, is now playing. Cierra was recruited to college as a third baseman and she is also an excellent catcher.
The younger Grice is a six-year member of the team. She is the starting shortstop and currently she is batting 558 including 9 RBI’s and three stolen bases. “No doubt with such a young team Cierra is like our Coach on the Field,” said Coach Grice. “She can play multiple positions and our younger players have relied on her for guidance and even instruction.”
The only other senior on the team is all-region returner McKayla Huggins who is catcher batting .450. Huggins, a commitment to Florence-Darlington Tech is a top catcher behind the plate with a 1,000-fielding percentage to date.
Junior all-region returner MaKenna Meekins has missed a few games with a minor injury and the speedy center fielder is currently batting .500.
When you get past the “Big Three” roll call of Grice, Huggins, and Meekins the youth movement begins.
Sophomore Zoee Chavis is the number one pitcher on the staff having to fill the shoes left behind by graduated record setter Paige Sherman who recently got her first win at Lander University, where she is a freshman. Sherman had 704 K’s in her five- year career at Dillon where she won 75 games and compiled a 1.32 ERA.
“Zoee is getting better with every outing,” said Coach Grice. “She has a good breaking ball and is working on developing other pitches also. In 22.2 innings in the circle this season she has 25 strike-outs and a 0.78 ERA.” Chavis can play second base when she is not pitching.
Haiden Eller is a sophomore part-time starter at first depending on who is pitching. Another sophomore starter is speedy center fielder Ansley Villagomez who is batting .333. Her 9th grade sister, Addison Villagomez, is a reserve catcher.
Kanyla Tanksley, an 8th grade starter in the out-field, who is batting .400 and she leads the team with six stolen bases. Marsiah Bethea is a 7th grader playing in the outfield and batting in the 8- hole. Ashlyn Wallace is a 7th grader starting at third base. Freshman Wanaysia Hughes is starting in right field. Jayla Wright is a 7th grade back-up pitcher.
Madalynn Willis, was just pulled up from the junior varsity and she is seeing action at second base. Emorie Willimson is a 7th grade reserve pitcher and Tristen Dove is a sophomore reserve first-baseman.
Dillon will play at Georgetown on March, 19th, before playing at Green Sea-Floyds the next day. On Friday March, 21st the Wildcats host Waccamaw
Coach Grice is assisted by Will Clark, Twin Lester and Johnna Jones.
