The United States Geological Survey has yet to report any seismic activity over the western part of Greenbrier County so far this year.
However, the Greenbrier West softball team could change that at any time with the way it is swinging the sticks.
Powered by some thunderous work at the dish, the Lady Cavaliers are off to a red-hot start going undefeated in their first 11 games, while outscoring their opponents along the way, 156-15.
“We felt pretty good about this team going into the season, but I think we have exceeded our expectations a good bit. The Lord has been good to us for sure. It has been a blessing,” Greenbrier West head coach Tony Hinkle said. “The run scoring is a little mind blowing, but I am sure that won’t continue. We have definitely got off to a hot start.”
After the first three weeks of the season, Emma Ames was leading the charge hitting .577, while Preslee Treadway was hitting .533 and Brilee Redden .533 as well.
Kyndall Taylor is hitting .500 with Julia Herndon, Brooke Patterson and Hannah Sweet all hitting over .400.
Add in Maddie Fields at .464, and Greenbrier West is a nightmare for pitchers all through the batting order.
“The other pitchers can’t take an inning off and we have quite a bit of speed on the base paths,” Hinkle said. “They tend to put some pressure on the defense and create a lot of havoc.”
Win No. 10 came last Tuesday at Braxton County where the Cavaliers scored 19 runs powered by Ames who drove in seven and smacked a grand slam. Win 11 came this week with Fields and Herndon swatting two home runs each against Webster County.
Hinkle believes the early success is tied in large part to hard work in the offseason, along with the hard work put in by his assistant coaches.
“Tommy Honaker takes care of our hitting, while his brother Joey Honaker takes care of our defense. Amanda Church, who just started last year, does the conditioning and agility,” Hinkle said. “We really stressed the conditioning and agility early and it has really made a difference. Amanda works with our slappers also. Getting them in shape has been a big help and the agility has been really good for our defense.”
Hinkle is also convinced that having so many multi-sport athletes wearing the Cavalier uniform has been a big key to the success early in the season.
“I think it is a big plus when kids play multiple sports and we have a ton of them. It keeps them in shape,” Hinkle explained. “Sometimes kids that only play one sport can get burned out quickly. This keeps them focused on something different.”
While it is easy to get lost on the eye-popping run production, a glance at the runs allowed by the West staff is equally as impressive.
So far, Taylor, Redden and senior Michaela Alley have combined for six shutouts.
“This year we have a staff and this is really the first time that we have had three really good pitchers. That is kind of tough in single-A,” Hinkle said. “Kyndall is our sophomore and she is 3-0 so far and Michaela is also 3-0. Brilee has really stepped up as a freshman. She is 5-0 with a .457 ERA. We expected her to be good, but she has exceeded that so far. She is a real gamer and has stepped up in some big games in Michaela’s absence.”
Alley returned after injuring her knee late in the first game of the season. Against Braxton County she pitched just over four innings allowing one run on two hits, while striking out eight batters.
The fast start this year is even more impressive when you consider the Cavaliers lost three seniors to graduation last year, all in key positions.
“We had to replace first base, centerfield and second base, but those spots have been filled really well and we have had some surprises,” Hinkle said. “We have kids that have worked hard to get their positions and they are doing a good job.”
Anchored by a strong group that have already won their way to the state tournament in volleyball and basketball, Hinkle really likes the team chemistry this year.
“This team is so close. They really pull for each other. It is unreal when one pitcher is pitching and the other two are watching. They are really behind each other,” Hinkle said. “Everybody is excited for everybody and you don’t get that very often. This team is really special for sure.”
Such a strong start can cause a team to start glancing ahead to the postseason. Hinkle is not concerned about that with his squad.
“These girls are so humble. They just focus on the next game and take it one game at a time,” Hinkle said. “They don’t talk about the future much. They just look at who we have next and what they need to do.”