Marion – The Marion High School softball team had a great season under first-year head coach Kenosha Hyman. The Lady Swamp Foxes were one win away from it being a tremendous season.
Marion reached the championship round of the AA lower state tournament undefeated, needing one win to reach the state championship series. However, it wasn’t in the cards as the Lady Foxes lost to eventual state champion Chesterfield 12-2 and 7-5.
While disappointed with the finish, Hyman was not disappointed with the season as a whole.
“I honestly had the confidence from the beginning of the season,” said Hyman, whose team finished with an overall record of 19-5. “I was around these young ladies most of their lives. I saw their potential more than they did. I just felt like they needed to build their own confidence.
“We had the speed and great chemistry,” she added. “The young ladies trusted one another and that carried us a long way.”
Hyman was selected as the new head coach after her daughter, Jakara Hyman, stepped down. She said a small adjustment period was required.
“I come from what people call old school,” she said. “I’m very passionate about softball, so the young ladies took a game or two to adjust to my coaching. After that we became a big family. They knew when I meant business and they knew when I was kidding.”
The Lady Foxes had seven players selected to the all-region team in Jaeda Horne, Maliyah Williams, Sheteria Bethea, Hailie Lebeidz, Anna Grace Page, Ja’Shaya Page and Ayonni Malloy.
Bethea, a freshman, led the team with a .543 batting average entering the lower state tournament. She had 28 runs scored. Williams, a freshman, batted .509 with seven home runs and team highs in runs with 37 and runs batted in with 30.
Lebiedz, a junior, was at .500 while sophomore Horne was at .478. Annie Grace Page, a junior, batted .474 with 20 runs batted in, freshman Malloy was at .463 with four homers and 22 RBI, and sophomore Ja’Shaya Page was at .379.
Saniyah Howard, the lone senior in the starting lineup, was hitting .390. Eighth-graders Kynnedi Jenkins and Amiyah Waiters were batting .419 and .389, respectively.
Marion had 135 stolen bases with seven players in double figures. Waiters had 18, Williams and Bethea 17 apiece, Malloy 14, Ja’Shaya Page 13, Howard 12 and freshman Kristen Shaw 10.
Lebiedz handled most of the pitching. She had a 2.97 earned run average in 75 1/3 innings pitched. Jenkins had worked 33 1/3 innings with a 3.57 ERA.
Hyman is already looking forward to next season.
“We will have eight starters back next year,” she said. “And our extra players were contributing factors too, so we will hope to see lower state and even state next year.”
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