Like most sports, softball is a game of numbers. But Branson’s Sierra Dailey doesn’t spend much time thinking about them. “I try not to think about it,” she said. “I try not to get too caught up in the numbers.”
Dailey is third all time on Branon’s career hit list, 14 hits behind number one. She credits assistant coach Gracie Jaeger with helping her improve her potential record-setting swing. “We always tell the girls, you’ve got to hit the ball to the right side,” said Jaeger. “We can’t pull, we can’t pull, we can’t pull.”
The class of 2018 Branson grad would know. After all, on that same all-time hits list, Jaeger is in second place.
She’s 10 hits ahead of Sierra. “Growing up my dad had told me and I had watched some of the Branson games when Gracie played,” said Sierra, “She has kind of that right field swing and I knew that was something I wanted to emulate.”
“I keep hearing people say, ‘Your records are going to be broken,'” said Jaeger. “And I’m like, ‘All the more power to her,'”
“Having Gracie as my coach, I could ask for nothing more,” said Sierra. The all-state shortstop and pitcher is only 14 hits behind the top spot on the list, held by Catrina Ford from the class of 2020. And yeah, she comes to cheer Sierra on too.
“I feel like every time I see her she’s always working hard,” said Catrina. “She loves her teammates with everything in her. And I couldn’t be more proud of how she’s doing.”
“Playing with Cat my freshman year, it was great,” said Sierra. “I absolutely love having her around. She’s such a role model for me.”
And with role models like this, it’s the reason that Sierra turned down a chance to move to a new school district with a bigger softball program a few years ago when her parents brought up the idea.
“This is my home, I love this school,” said Sierra. “And I could never leave this program, or these coaches, or these teammates. I’m so glad that I stuck with it. And to represent Branson has been an honor for me.”
Besides, she’s got unfinished business. “Branson’s never won a district championship, so getting there would be absolutely amazing,” she said.
And her role models say, there’s no limits to what the Pirates can do with her steering the ship.
“I’m really proud of her,” said Jaeger. “All the goals she’s been accomplishing. And I just know she’s going to do big things no matter what. I’m her biggest fan.”
