By Chris Parker

Fall 2019 Preview: Salem Softball

By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

Salem entered the fall season inexperienced but emerged battle tested, winning eight games and dropping several by a narrow margin.

“Of our 12 losses, we lost six games by one or two runs,” said Philip Karr, who enters his third year as the Lady Tigers’ head coach. “A young team sometimes goes through trials and tribulations, and we simply were not consistent offensively. Our girls’ effort was solid throughout the year, so they do have good practice work habits, which I feel leads to positive results in time.”

The Lady Tigers lose two players from last year’s team. Lexy Woolman, shortstop, hit .298 in the top of the order, led the team in runs scored, and had 16 RBIs. Catcher Brooke Adams hit .349 at clean up and led the team in RBIs with 23. Woolman was the team leader and communicator, and Adams a hard worker and serious competitor.

Senior pitcher Addie Konkel returns after posting a 3.44 ERA with a young defensive lineup behind her. She has put in the work in the offseason, and that work is expected to pay off at the plate and in the circle.

Nina Howard will start at second base. The senior hit .329 as a junior with 18 RBIs and is expected to step up as a leader for the team. Classmate Malia Terrill is a defensive specialist and will man left field.

First baseman Reggie Parks is a junior who led the team in hitting with a .382 average and a .493 OBP. A third year starter, she will be looked to for production.

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Junior Tatum Hatridge hit .208 in her first year playing despite being sidelined by a shoulder injury; the outfielder and DH returns with game experience.

Three freshmen started for the Lady Tigers last year, including Denise Stoner. Stoner played third base last year and was the leadoff hitter with .362, 15 RBIs and a .486 OBP. The sophomore will now be moved to the catching position.

Sophomore outfielder Bella Jadwin’s speed and athleticism are assets for the Lady Tigers. “Bella was thrown in the fire as a freshman and her batting average was .189, but her OBP was .432,” said Coach Karr. “We’re hoping she can reach base safely more often this season after getting experience.”

Chloe Bonner, sophomore, will play outfield and third base. She started at centerfield, hitting .250 with a .333 OBP. “Chloe has good power and can drive the ball to all fields,” said Coach Karr. “We are counting on her to reduce the number of strikeouts and drive in a lot of runs for us.”

Anna McDaniel, senior, couldn’t come out last season for health-related reasons but has now been cleared to play. Also competing for a varsity position are junior Grace Kunkel, sophomores Andrew Bray, Micah Bobbitt, and Alexis Moore. Freshmen Ashton Bowers and Savannah Manthey performed well at camp and could be in the mix as well.

Coach Karr said his team suffered from throwing errors and failing to pick up two-out hits “that cause damage and are vital in close games. When we lose, we need to make sure we get beat and didn’t give the game away from costly errors or mental mistakes.”

“Our goal is to have a winning season after being four games below .500 last year,” he said. “We played several girls last year and gave them the experience they needed to be more successful this season at the varsity level. We should be better mentally and fundamentally and my expectations are for us to play solid softball.”

The Lady Tigers host East Carter to open their season Aug. 30.