Lamar softball trying to make a dent in monster region

           Lamar – Lamar High School softball head coach Shane Brantley believes he has a pretty good squad, but at times it’s hard to tell because it is a member of Region 6-Class A.

           “Our region is like the SEC (Southeastern Conference) of 1A softball,” Brantley said. “I mean we’ve got Latta, Lake View and Hannah-Pamplico.”

           As in defending state champion Hannah-Pamplico, the team H-P beat in the championship round of the lower state tournament in Latta, and perennial power Lake View, which joined the other two in the 4-team lower state tournament.

           The Silver Foxes were off to a 3-9 overall start and had a 0-4 mark in region play. One of those losses was 10-7 to Green Sea Floyds, the other team in the 5-team region which Lamar is likely battling for the fourth and final playoff berth.

          The first six in the Lamar batting order are all returning starters. Freshman Ansley Fishel bats leadoff and is followed by senior Emily Johnson, who owns a team high .367 batting average.

         Junior Abby McManus bats third and leads in hitting with a .387 average Senior Hannah Amerson is the cleanup hitter with a .278 average, and senior Reagan Knotts bats fifth with a .188 average.

           The rest of the starting lineup is senior Lauren Godbold (.182) batting sixth followed by freshman Gabby Mendiola (.281), eighth-grader Mallory Bullard (.115) and eighth-grader Isabella Hayes (.267).

          McManus and Fishel share the pitching duties. McManus, a returning All-Region player, has worked 43 innings with a 4.88 earned run average, while Fishel had a 6.42 ERA in 24 innings.

          LAMAR BASEBALL OFF TO SLOW START

          The Lamar baseball team lost its first eight games in its initial season under head coach Adam Fedawa.

          The Silver Foxes have been hindered by injuries since the start of the season, so Fedawa is looking for the silver lining.

          “We had seven or eight freshmen starting in the lineup, a lot of young kids,” said Fedawa, who took the job after serving as the pitching coach the past 12 seasons at fellow Darlington County school Hartsville. “That was based on injuries, so it was a tough situation, not easy. We’re finally getting a little healthy, so we hope this will make us better in the long run.”

         The top four in the batting order has been consistent with junior centerfield Zoom Jackson leading off followed by sophomore shortstop Cody Barr, senior pitcher/designated hitter Hunter Watford and junior pitcher/outfielder Jayzon Parnell.

        The rest of the defensive alignment has freshman Dawson Wilkes catching, junior Isaiah Chacon at second base and freshman Ethan Munn at third. Freshman Messiah Simes and Tucker Watford split time at first, while junior Frankie McCullough, sophomore JuJu Morris and freshman Aiden Blackmon see time in the outfield.

        Hunter Watford is the No. 1 starting pitcher. The other starters are Parnell and Tucker Watford. Barr is the closer.