Trinity (Whitesville) heads into this weekend’s Kentucky All “A” Classic Statewide Softball Tournament with confidence and momentum, winners of five straight and getting contributions from top to bottom in their lineup.
“All three teams we play are solid,” said head coach Jessica Morris. “We’re sticking with our game plan — Sophie [Hatfield] has been strong on the mound, and if we need a change of pace, we’ve got Ella [Morris] who pitches completely different. We just hope to start putting runs on the board earlier than we have been.”
The Lady Raiders (9-5) will open pool play Saturday at Jack C. Fisher Park in Owensboro with games against Clinton County at 10 a.m., Somerset at 3:30 p.m., and Raceland at 7 p.m.
Trinity’s offense is led by senior Madison McDaniel, who boasts a .510 average with 26 hits.
“She just has that softball IQ,” Morris said. “She always gets the job done — moves runners and scores them when we need it.”
Senior Sarah Payne (.449, 13 RBIs) holds down centerfield, while eighth grader Kendall Howard (.432, 12 RBIs) is key both at the plate and behind it, catching for Hatfield, who’s tallied 107 strikeouts over 80.1 innings.
“They’re an amazing duo,” Morris said. “They just know each other and work so well together.”
Morris also credited shortstop Ella Morris for her recent surge at the plate, steady defensive play and ability on the mound.
“She did really well against Edmonson and we hope that continues,” she said.
The young core is also stepping up. Seventh grader Aubrey Millay has grown at third base, along with Aubrey McKinney at first and on the bases and Lucy Hallmark. Camryn Preston and Annie Coomes are also developing quickly.
“We call them our ‘Younghans,’” Morris said. “They’ve grown so much this season and are making big contributions.”
As a former Lady Raider herself, Morris said representing Whitesville in the All “A” Classic is special.
“You can’t go anywhere in town without someone talking about how proud they are,” she said. “There’s a real sense of pride in being able to bring this back to our hometown.”
Trinity looks to advance out of pool play and into Sunday’s championship bracket.
