An easy argument could be made that no prep softball team in the Kanawha Valley was looking forward to this season more than Sissonville.
To say the least, the Indians’ 2019 campaign came to the most bitter of ends.
The team had the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth inning of a winner-take-all Class AA Region 4 Section 1 final against Nitro at home. But some defensive wizardry from Wildcats second baseman Morgan Burdette and a late tally gave Nitro the 2-1 win and a berth into the regional round.
The two teams played five games a year ago, with four being decided by one run. The Indians went 3-2 in those contests, but lost the two that meant most, giving Sissonville players months of what-ifs to ponder.
Senior slugger Jenna Thomas graduated and Kanawha Valley Coach of the Year Jack Linville stepped down, yielding to Travis Hill, who took over the program this year.
But despite the few losses, the core of the team remained intact and was focused on rectifying history.
“It was totally devastating,” Hill said of the season being canceled by the coronavirus pandemic. “We were one game away from the big dance. It was very disappointing for our seniors.”
This year’s senior class was a bit bigger than last year’s, with starters Alexis Bailey (third base/first base), Honesty Bragg (catcher), Taylor Long (second base/shortstop) and Jaelyn Beane (outfield) being denied their final prep seasons. Long will move on to play at Glenville State with Bailey continuing her career at Potomac State.
Last season’s 27-8 campaign was a stark turnaround from two straight years of mediocrity. Hill said despite this senior class not getting a chance to finish, its mark on the program will be felt in the seasons to come.
“Obviously the cards didn’t fall like we wanted them to,” Hill said. “But this senior class left an impact. We had 10 practices together and a lot of them remembered [how last season ended] and were feeding off that. Hopefully when we get back in it, it will still be etched in their memory. Hopefully, we will bring it back to the glory days of the Sissonville program. We are very excited with the girls we still have now.”
There certainly are still plenty of pieces in place to try to recapture those glory days, which includes seven Class AA state championships.
Right off the top is Madison Legg, a sophomore who turned in a workhorse season in the circle in her rookie campaign a year ago. She went 22-8 with a 1.76 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 175 innings to earn second-team All-State and All-Kanawha Valley honors.
But more than the numbers, Legg never seemed to be overwhelmed by the moment and owns the only victory over Herbert Hoover in the last two years. Her talent, mentality, experience and another year of development will likely lead to bigger things over the next couple of seasons.
“Madison has ice water in her veins,” Hill said. “The pressure never seems to get on her. She has a knack for coming through in big games as we saw last year.”
Aly Soblit (.379, 31 runs) will return to the outfield as a senior next year after earning All-State honorable mention last year. Sophomore shortstop Emma Meade also turned in a solid rookie campaign in 2019, hitting .371 with three home runs and 14 stolen bases. Sophomore Gracelyn Hill was also a starter a year ago and can play either in the infield or the outfield.
Five freshmen joined the fold this year and Hill said there is some potential in that group as well. Twins Autumn and Abigail Bailey, the younger sisters of Alexis, figured to push for playing time this year.
While the canceled season and extra year of waiting came as a disappointment to softball players around the state, it was a particularly tough pill for the Indians to swallow. But like everyone else, all the team can do is make the best of an unfortunate situation.
“We put the message out there to get in as much work as they can in the yard whether it’s hitting into a net or throwing,” Hill said. “The other day I was joking around and asked my daughter [Gracelyn Hill] if she had any bed sores.
“But I know Madison is working two or three days a week to stay in shape and in mastering her craft. You just have to do what you can with what you can. We’ve got a good group of girls and parents that will work with them in the offseason.”
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Prep softball: Sissonville denied chance to atone for bitter 2019 finish - Charleston Gazette-Mail
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