Young but experienced Lady Knights hope to be diamonds in the rough

Last season the Lady Knights softball team was young and hungry, untested with half of their starting team having just entered high school.That youth played a role in the struggles of the team, but it also gave the young and talented kids a chance to grow up on the job, and gain some valuable experience at the varsity level.Now, a year older, wiser and more mature, expectations grow for a team returning nine letter winners.“We were young, starting five freshman last year,” said West Holmes Coach Jaime Martin. “That’s tough for any team to do, regardless of the talents and abilities. When you’re putting 10 people on the field and half of them are freshman, that is going to cause some growing pains, and we definitely had them.”That youth helped create quite a roller coaster ride throughout the season.While pitching was a plus, with veteran hurler Hannah Frank and freshman Stormi Morris doing a solid job, and the hitting was decent most of the year, Martin said it was the defensive side of the game where her team struggled the most.With so many freshman in the field, errors played a role in the 6-17 season that at one point saw the Lady Knights creep to within three games of .500 at 6-9 us, but we got some great experience, and we have a group of great girls. It’s now taking what we have learned and moving forward from there.”Now a year older and wiser, the team is raring to erase the taste of the 11-1 defeat to John Glenn in its Sectional tournament that ended the season last year, and get the new year going.And the nicest part about starting five freshman is that you return a ton of starting talent from the prior year, which Martin certainly does this season.“Whenever you put nine people with varsity experience on the field, that is a big difference from four,” said Martin.It all starts with three year letter winner Frank on the mound and at second base.Frank has been a picture of stability on the field and as a leader for the Lady Knights. Her calm presence has been instrumental to the maturation of the team, and Martin will send her leader to the mound often.“Hannah is going to be our senior leader not just because she is a senior, but also on the mound,” said Martin. “She has been on the mound for us for four years, so that will definitely benefit her knowing how to pitch to the other teams in the conference.”Morris also got some valuable experience on the mound last year as a freshman. While she did suffer her ups and downs, she now has the experience needed to be successful on the mound, and she and Frank will alternate between playing second base and pitching.The biggest loss for the Lady Knights come at first base, where Kara Barnes gave them senior leadership and a huge bat in the clean-up spot. The other loss will be at shortstop, with last year’s starter Cassie Thomas having to sit out a year after moving out of, and back into, the school district.Martin said that hard-hitting Morgan Wagers will be looked to replace Barnes at first base. Filling the shortstop spot, one of the most crucial positions on the field, will be a tougher task.One solid option will be to put Hannah Miller there. One of the five freshmen last year, Miller is athletic and capable of moving anywhere around the field, but she did serve as the Lady Knights starting catcher last season, and a move to short would leave that position open.Martin said that Maddie Wolfe, who also got time behind the dish last season, would take over the full-time duties as catcher should Miller win the shortstop job.MaKenna DeWitt is also back, and she too is in the mix to take that shortstop spot.At third base will be senior Kristi Atherton and sophomore Makayla Patterson. Katie Welsh will also be an option, and whoever doesn’t win that job will move to the outfield corner spots.Junior Alys Shoemaker will patrol center field, and gives the Lady Knights a good fielder with an experienced bat.Brie Galbraith, a JV player last year who saw a little action at the varsity level, will also be in the mix to play the outfield, while freshman Hailey Martin and Cassidy Mohler will also be looked upon to provide some quality innings for Martin’s club.“There’s a bunch of question marks as to how this all will fit together, but we are excited,” said Martin. “We’ve got a nice blend of girls now with varsity experience.”Coming off the 6-17 season, Martin said they will look to improve on that mark, especially considering the poor finish from last year still lingering.Much of that came from a very inexperienced group last year, but now that will not be the case for West Holmes.“You can forgive a lot of things when they are freshman, but now when they step into that role with a year’s experience, that’s a whole different experience,” said Martin.