5 Gilmer softball players recognized
Softball all-region lists have been finalized.
Coaches’ votes were tallied last week, and five Gilmer High Lady Cats were recognized.
Sophomore pitcher Lily Fortune was selected to the first team, while senior first baseman Zoey Woody and freshman catcher Jaylee McDaniel were named to the second team.
Sophomore infielder Phoenix Addie and freshman outfielder Sarah Dale received an all-region honorable mention.
“I was supper happy to get three on the team plus a couple honorable mentions,” said head coach Haley Vick. “That shows that even in our tough region, the coaches have recognized the hard work our girls have put in.”
Fortune was the Cats’ No. 1 pitcher by a wide margin and tossed 119 2/3 innings on the season. She earned three wins, struck out 127 batters and walked 43.
Woody led GHS with 25 hits and seven doubles. She posted a .316 batting average, .747 on-base plus slugging percentage, drove in seven runs and scored 11 more.
McDaniel had a team-best .324 batting average, .946 OPS and four triples. Four of her 24 hits were doubles and another was a home run. She added 10 RBIs and 14 runs.
Addie knocked in 15 runs to lead GHS. She racked up 23 hits, three doubles, a home run, .303 average and .743 OPS.
Dale’s patience at the plate led to a team-high 14 walks. She scored the most runs with 16. She added 19 hits and four doubles, five RBIs and a .250 average. She earned a win in a relief appearance versus Lumpkin County.
The Cats posted a 4-23 record with a relatively young roster. Gilmer found itself on the losing end of multiple close games.
Vick assessed the season, noting, “I did want to win a few more games obviously, but we did have six one-run losses. If we had pulled those out, that puts us at 10 wins for the season. I told the girls I was proud of them because they worked hard until the end, even in those last few game where we knew we weren’t going past the regular season. They still competed, made adjustments and did some good things.
“For example, Makayla Martin made a diving catch in left field in our very last game. She’s been working on that all season and it was good to see the entire team celebrate those little things. That was very encouraging as well.”