DF baseball and softball young but improving

By WORTHY EVANS

After an early season struggle, Dutch Fork’s baseball team seems to have found its stride. Head coach Casey Waites, whose team won the 5A state championship in 2019, knows that the season is still early.

“This is a young team, and probably the smallest team I’ve had,” he said, adding that he’s had to pull some players up from junior varsity to fill out the roster. “One of our biggest challenges is pitching depth.”

Hunter Phipps (2-0) is the leading pitcher, with a batting average against at .118 and an earned-run average of 0.60 and 39 strikeouts.

Behind Phipps is Boone Miller as the No.2 and Matthew Rollison in a relief role. Over spring break Waites said the team will scratch out a third starting pitcher for the rest of the region season, which may well be Rollison.

Starting catcher Connor McKee is down with an injury and won’t return to the team for several weeks. In his place junior Jarvis Jackson is behind the plate. Miller and Alex Townley share time at first base, sophomore Ethan Offing is at second base. Sophomore Brady Yarborough is at shortstop and senior and Presbyterian College commit Matthew Rollison is at third base. The team’s best hitter, junior Boykin Bickley, will see time in leftfield or as a designated hitter. Sophomore Raleigh Salters, the team’s second leading hitter, is in centerfield, and Candler Morden and Alexander Pelham will share time in rightfield.

The Silver Foxes, 7-4 overall, have a 4-game winning streak and a 2-0 start in a difficult Region 4-5A.

In the thick of a fiercely competitive Region 4-5A that features defending 5A champion River Bluff (8-5, 3-2) but also has Lexington (8-6, 2-3), a rising Chapin team (8-1, 2-2) and White Knoll (5-7, 1-4).

“It's a dogfight every year. Every region team is capable of winning it, and one team I think is flying under the radar is Chapin, we face them coming off of spring break and they’ve got a lot of seniors.”

In the meantime, Dutch Fork is playing in the Forest Acres Classic hosted by A.C. Flora. The Silver Foxes played Miller, Va. April 1 to open the tournament, Brookland-Cayce April 2, and A.C. Flora April 3, and an opponent to be determined on the final day April 4.

Dutch Fork reenters region play with a pivotal three-game series against Chapin the week of April 8.

The Silver Foxes softball team (5-7, 1-2) are still a work in progress, but head coach Hayley Elkins said she’s seen a lot of progress not only on the diamond and circle, but also in the heads of her players.

“From the past years our biggest thing we’ve been working on is our mindset and mentality at the plate in game situations,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement in that area and that’s been huge in region games.”

Dutch Fork softball is still a young team, with one senior, catcher and Limestone signee Allie Boone. The four juniors provide more experience, and the rest of the team is sophomores and freshmen.

The team’s top pitcher is sophomore Layla Peppers.

“She works both sides of the plate very well and has developed a curve ball recently,” Elkins said.

Leading the outfielders is junior Lillie-Grace Moore.

“She could cover the whole outfield if I let her,” Elkins said. “She’s got trememdous speed.”

Around Boone, Peppers, and Moore are Hayley Alderman at first base, Olivia Hill at second, Katie-Grace Hill at shortstop, Dakota Jenkins at third, Abigail Pouliot in leftfield, and either Ayanna Russell or Khloe Amburgey in rightfield, depending on which one is pitching.

While young, the Silver Foxes aren’t afraid of taking chances on the basepaths. That mentality can lead to outs, but Elkins appreciates that her team is willing to take chances to get runs across the plate.

“Their willingness to make things happen is so great, they’re almost always at the next base without any prompting.”

With that aggression and improved plate appearances, Elkins has high hopes that her team can weather region competition.

“We want to finish our region strong,” she said. “Our bats weren’t very hot early on but in the past two games I’ve seen a difference and hope to see more as the region goes along.”