WHITE HOUSE With opening day less than a week away, Hendersonville High was among three Sumner County prep softball squads that took some extra swings for a notable cause on Tuesday evening at White House High’s Chuck Davis Field.
Hendersonville High junior Lexi Revis swings at a pitch during Tuesday evening’s jamboree at White House High School.
The Lady Commandos were among the visiting clubs tuning up for next week’s 50-team Commando Classic at Drakes Creek Park, but they only managed a 1-1 tie against White House Heritage in the middle contest of the three-game slate.
Each game was four innings in length, regardless of the score.
For Hendersonville, that meant giving senior pitchers Carley Carlisle (who had a 14-6 record and a 1.83 earned-run average last season) and Hannah Thompson (14-7, three saves, 2.63, 18 complete games and seven shutouts) a pair of innings against the Lady Patriots.
“We had planned on throwing each pitcher one inning,” Hendersonville head coach Jeff Serbin said. “But with the threat of rain (later in the week), we had to throw them when we can. They’ve got to get some innings in.”
Both Lady Commando hurlers have signed to continue their softball careers in college as Carlisle signed with Columbia State Community College and Thompson with Austin Peay State University.
Junior catcher Matti Byrd (.381 batting average, 27 runs batted in) provided Hendersonville’s lone offense with a solo home run in the top of the third inning, tying the game. It’s the kind of offense that Serbin hopes to receive from his starting catcher.
“I think she could have a pretty spectacular year at the plate,” Serbin said. “She’s a little banged up, but it’s not going to affect her at the plate. We’ll have to limit her innings catching a little bit, but she’s been working hard at the plate. She hit that one pretty good.”
Teammates greet Hendersonville High junior Matti Byrd at home plate after her home run during third-inning action against White House Heritage.
The Lady Commandos only lost three seniors to graduation from last year’s squad as they attempt to return to the region tournament for the first time since 2003.
Junior Annsley Kalamon (.431, four home runs, 33 RBI) should provide power in the middle of the order as well.
“People will question this, but (Kalamon) hit one at Mt. Juliet that probably was 305 (feet),” Serbin said. “It was one of the farthest balls I’ve seen hit in a really long time.”
District 9-AAA play takes on a new format this season – a double round-robin district schedule instead of the divisional play from recent years, in which teams played foes from the other division only once.
Station Camp head coach Ken Crook likes that format, especially when it comes to tournament time.
“I think it’s better, because you do get to play each other,” Crook said. “When you get to the end, you get a true seeding, because you’re not handicapped by not playing one of the teams (more than once).”
Senior Taylor Gaines returns as the Lady Bison’s top pitcher, but she did not pitch in the final game of Tuesday’s jamboree against White House, a 3-2 victory for Station Camp. Instead, Crook left that task up to some younger hurlers in search of a No. 2 pitcher behind the veteran right-hander, who also serves as the team’s leadoff hitter.
Station Camp freshman shortstop Addie Lange fields a low throw as White House junior Katy Gut reaches second base safely during Tuesday evening’s jamboree.
Left-handed freshman Gabriella Sarabia started in the pitcher’s circle, but she allowed six walks and two runs in two innings. Sophomores Jordan Hodge and Anna Lyons each tossed one inning of relief, with Lyons getting the win after throwing a scoreless fourth inning.
The other pitchers provided Lyons that opportunity when Sarabia’s RBI-groundout scored Hodge in the top of the fourth inning. Station Camp’s other offense came from senior catcher – and Roane State Community College signee – Chasity Wheeley (.305, eight home runs, 28 RBI), who hit a two-run home run in the first inning.
“We had timely bunts and timely hits,” Crook said. “Chasity hurt one of the trees out there (beyond the leftfield fence). That was a shot. That’s what you expect from her. She’s done it every single year.”
Hodge shared shortstop duties with freshman Addie Lange as the Lady Bison search to find a replacement for last year’s Sumner County Player of the Year, Alli Fulcher (who is now playing at the University of Tennessee at Martin).
White House had a different approach to the contest against Station Camp, getting as many players in the game as possible.
Head coach Cindy Towers accomplished that and more in the jamboree, an event she began in 2012 as a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association. All of the proceeds from ticket sales go toward that cause.
“Some teams started doing this down in the southern part of the state around 2011,” Towers said. “Nobody up here had ever done it or heard of it, so I decided to do one because of Alzheimer’s. At the time, my mom was suffering really bad. It was a tough time that time, because she was progressively getting worse. When I had (the first jamboree) in 2012, my mom passed away two weeks later.”
White House junior pitcher Madeline Cain delivers a pitch to Station Camp freshman Gabriella Sarabia during second-inning action on Tuesday evening.
During the Lady Devils’ turn on the field, a different lineup played in each inning.
“You get an opportunity to let all of your girls play in front of their home crowd in a game against a good AAA team,” Towers said. “I changed the lineup every inning. It was good to see them adapt to the change, and I think that’s something that will serve them well down the road.”
White House took advantage of Sarabia’s walks in the first inning, scoring once. The Lady Devils added a run in the second inning on a throwing error, allowing junior Katy Gut to score.
Meanwhile, White House’s pitchers, including junior Madeline Cain (6-7, 2.52), junior Stephanie Palmer (7-9, 3.25) and senior Madisen Adkins (4-1, 3.19) – who pitched the final two innings – got some needed work.
“She’s been working really hard over the winter on location,” Towers said of Adkins, a Bethel University signee. “She’s been working on making the different pitches work. She’s done a good job. All of the pitchers have been coming in twice a week in the morning at 6:30, trying to work on their pitches and the other things that they needed to work on individually.”
Along with Adkins, three other seniors – Savannah Fuston (.414, three home runs, 28 RBI), Kaite Williams and Brooklyn Swann – should see regular playing time as the Lady Devils attempt to keep up with District 9-AA rivals White House Heritage and Greenbrier, which also took part in the jamboree.
Others preparing for battle
Five starters return from Pope John Paul II High’s state-tournament team as the Lady Knights seek a fourth consecutive trip to Murfreesboro.
Senior Alley McDonald returns from a back injury that cost her all of the postseason. McDonald will be the top pitcher for head coach Jody Brothers, recording an 8-2 record and a 1.08 ERA last season prior to her injury.
McDonald, along with senior second baseman Amanda Kuban, led the Lady Knights with batting average of .426 last season.
Three players – senior catcher Savannah Lewis, sophomore outfielder Caitlyn Brinkley and junior shortstop Alexis Williams –were Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) All-State honorees last season.
Lewis had a .382 batting average, a .434 on-base percentage, four doubles, 18 RBI and struck out just five times in 2015.
Brinkley had a .347 batting average, a .467 on-base percentage, nine doubles, three triples, 20 RBI, 17 walks and five stolen bases, while Williams hit .387 with a .448 on-base percentage, 13 doubles, two triples and 20 RBI.
PJP II placed second in the Division II-Class AA East/Middle Region and finished with a 20-10 record.
Beech
Beech was left out of the Region 5-AAA Tournament after falling to Mt. Juliet in the District 9-AAA losers’ bracket final last season, but the Lady Buccaneers – who finished 21-13 last year – will have to rely on returning experience in the pitcher’s circle if they wish to return to a longer postseason run.
Seniors Ashley Graves (14-8, 2.42) and Abbie Vaughn (2 saves, 3.95) return in the pitcher’s circle, while Beech returns only one senior who started last year – centerfielder Ashton Hayden, who is a Maryville College signee.
Offensively, Beech lost its top three hitters to graduation, leaving Hayden (.368, 19 RBI) as the Lady Buccaneers’ top returning batter.
Junior Layce Milliken (.241, three home runs, 21 RBI) returns at catcher to handle the pitching staff after collecting the third-most RBI last season.
Other returning starters include sophomore Natalie Lankster in left field and classmate Kaylor Chaffin at second base.
Portland
Portland returns seven starters from last year’s squad, including senior second baseman Keely McGee – a Middle Tennessee State University signee who led the Lady Panthers with a .603 batting average, a .640 on-base percentage, 16 runs scored, 14 doubles, one triple, 12 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
Both halves of Portland’s main battery signed with Cumberland University during the offseason as senior pitcher Allie Tomlinson and catcher Hollie Kepley.
Tomlinson had a .339 batting average with two doubles and nine RBI, while Kepley had a .370 batting average, four doubles, one home run and eight RBI.
Gallatin
Gallatin suffered a blow to its offense even before the season had a chance to start when Shamari Johnson tore the anterior-cruciate ligament in her knee during the final game of the Lady Wave basketball season.
Johnson hit .491 last season, but Gallatin now has to fill that void.
Another basketball player – senior Rene Hudson – returns after not playing softball last season.
Junior Savannah Link returns as the top Lady Wave pitcher, while freshman Sidney Link will also factor into the rotation.
Freshman Kemiah Michel could see time at multiple positions as well as inside the pitcher’s circle.
Westmoreland
Westmoreland found some offense during last season’s District 9-AA Tournament, winning a pair of games with double-digit run totals to help the Lady Eagles finish fourth after placing last in the district during the regular season.
Only one graduating senior departed from last year’s squad, so the Lady Eagles have experience returning to the field.
Senior Addie Morris is expected to provide both experience and offense after hitting .662 with two home runs, 28 RBI and 33 runs scored to go with 14 stolen bases.
Sophomore Kendall Goodrum – who threw a no-hitter during the district tournament – is expected to factor into the pitching rotation once again.
Hendersonville Christian Academy
Hendersonville Christian Academy returns six starters – including four seniors – from last year’s squad.
The Lady Crusaders compiled a 6-8 record, losing to Battle Ground Academy in the first round of the Division II-Class A East/Middle Region Tournament.
Four seniors – Kaylee Frensley, Taylor Koskey, Marian Silva and Bri Sturgis – remain from last season, and two sophomores – Elizabeth Jackson and Shelby Bell – also return as starters.
Bell is expected to handle duties in the pitcher’s circle, while Frensley and Bell should are the top returning hitters.
Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.