Georgetown High School freshman pitcher Ashley Mullins throws during action April 20, 2023, against Bethel-Tate High School at the Bethel-Tate field.
Georgetown High School’s Laney Noffsinger takes a swing during action April 20, 2023, against Bethel-Tate High School at the Bethel-Tate field.
Georgetown High School’s Anistin Fender prepares to haul in a fly ball during action April 20, 2023, against Bethel-Tate High School at the Bethel-Tate field.
The Georgetown High School softball team is just waiting for it – the day when the team’s possibilities and potential finally start to show.
Early in the Lady G-Men’s game against Bethel-Tate High School on April 20, it appeared maybe this could be it.
The Lady G-Men scored a run in their first at-bat and, with their young pitcher, Ashley Mullins, getting off to a good start, went into the bottom of the third inning in a 1-1 tie with one of the better teams in the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference.
But Bethel-Tate showed why it has only one loss in National Division play, scoring three runs in each the third and fourth innings. Then, after the Lady G-Men added a run in the top of the fifth to cut their deficit to 7-2, the Tigers added five runs in the bottom of the fifth for the 12-2, five-inning victory at the Bethel-Tate field.
“Our league is very tough. It’s always been very tough and competitive,” Georgetown coach Shawna Slack said. “We will keep pushing to find our mojo and drive through the rest of the season full speed ahead.”
While Mullins allowed 14 hits and 10 earned runs, the freshman hurler continues to get a lot of valuable experience. She has pitched most of the team’s innings this season and, according to the SBAAC, she is 3-6 and has pitched seven complete games.
“She (has been) nothing short of a pleasant surprise for me this year,” Slack said. “I did not expect to have a freshman pitcher, let alone a freshman pitcher starting. She has done a wonderful job for us so far. I had a conversation with her early in the season once I knew what she could do. I said to her that I would like to slot her into the starting circle, but it is a tough job to endure mentally as a freshman. I told her she would have to show me she could handle the pressure mentally, and she has exceeded my expectations. She has only been pitching for two years, so that in itself is remarkable. She also brings a big bat to our lineup.”
Mullins had one of the team’s four hits April 20. Sophomore Jenna Bowman, senior Shelby Bradley and freshman Carolyn Edmisten also had a hit apiece, with Edmisten providing the team’s only extra-base hit – a triple.
“We have struggled offensively so far this year and haven’t been able to produce at the plate consistently,” Slack said. “I have good hitters in my lineup. Anistin (Fender), Ashley, Shelby, Abby (Staker) have consistently shown up for us. Jenna Bowman also has the potential and has come in clutch on occasion. I just need more consistency out of all of them.
“Carolyn Edmisten – also a freshman – has a great bat as well and has come in … these last few games and produced big hits for us. She has recorded two triples in the last few games. Kendra McElroy also has the potential to be a big bat. She has a few things she is trying to work out at the plate and my hope is that she will so that in clutch times, she can produce.”
While the Tigers totaled 14 hits, Mullins walked only two batters and allowed only one stolen base. But errors again added up for the Lady G-Men.
“Defensively, we are well trained. But as a team we have put up 44 errors so far this year with a team fielding percentage of .894. That’s not good enough in our league,” Slack said. “We have to be better. We have to be able to capitalize on every opportunity with the ball in the air against big-hitting teams – like bethel or CNE (Clermont Northeastern) – and we haven’t done that. To beat teams like that, you have to keep the errors to a minimum or at zero. The errors we are making are mental and just plain silly. I know they are trying. We just have to find that grit and pedal-down mentality that will drive our chemistry.”