How this Veterans softball freshman broke out and helped her team sweep Tift County

KATHLEEN — Most young players, regardless of the sport, take time to adjust to the varsity level before they can contribute consistently.

Veterans (14-8, 9-3 Region 2-6A) softball freshman Kendra Levi contributed her fair share and then some during a doubleheader sweep of Tift County (3-16, 1-13 Region) on Thursday.

The Lady Warhawks won 6-1 and 10-2 in the first and second games respectively, and Levi’s best game was certainly the latter.

Not only did she make some tremendous catches in left field, including a foul ball she just barely got to, but she was also a perfect 3-for-3 for three runs and three RBI. One of those hits was a two-run jack to center field that brought Veterans within one of the run rule victory.

“I can’t say enough about her,” said Veterans head coach Jeff Sans. “You could tell when we first got her, she’s a player. She was a little timid, the way she played. She’s kind of coming into herself at the plate and [in the outfield]. She’s taking over, it’s fun to watch.”

“I think probably a couple weeks ago she started just settling in a little bit,” he continued. “Tonight, it came out. Well, just the whole week. She hit a home run down there in Tift [County] and got some good clutch hits, too. She’s doing a great job.”

A series can’t go by without mentioning ironwoman pitcher Cadence Scott, who threw a total of 16 innings against the Lady Blue Devils this week.

In total, she tallied 17 strikeouts and only gave up two earned runs and two walks. Her first earned run came in Game 3.

Scott has essentially been Sans’ only pitcher in the last two years. Although with her departure looming, they are trying to bring along replacements.

“She’s been doing that for two years. We went all the way to the Final Four last year with maybe one pitcher for the most part,” Sans said. “We have to find a two and a three, and I think we’re gettin’ there. We got a few freshmen that can go out there and get some outs for us, and they’re gonna be good in the future.”

One freshman is Abigail Stokes, who relieved Scott in Game 3 and threw three innings. In that time she gave up four hits, no runs, no walks and secured a strikeout.

Sans has seen Scott embrace a mentorship role as the new faces establish themselves.

“You can see her encouraging them when they come off the field during games, and then they throw a lot of bullpens together,” he said. “Just talking here and there with the pitching coach and her, she’s doing a good job mentoring.”

Thursday’s victories capped a bounce back week for the Lady Warhawks, who, before this series, were 1-4 in their last five games. At the time of writing they are second in the region standings and 12th in the Post Season Rankings (just behind Houston County at 11), but Sans thinks they are far from a finished product.

“I think we got a long way to go,” he said. “I think we’re doing some good things, but … there’s a few hitters that need to settle in to who they are. And you’re starting to see that a little bit, but we still got a ways to go to be who we can be.”

UP NEXT

Veterans has one of their most important region series next week against rival Houston County. They will host Game 1 on Sept. 29 at 6 p.m., and the doubleheader will be on Oct. 1 at Houston County at 4 p.m.

Tift County will play Northside in their next region series.