FAIRLEA, WV- The Greenbrier East Lady Spartans softball season could not have gone much better, but at the same time, maybe could not have finished any worse.
East put together a 24-7 campaign, spent most of the season ranked in the top 10 and swept through sectional play with ease to capture a sectional title.
But the season ended in the regional championship series against the George Washington Lady Patriots. The Spartans took a 1-0 series lead and needed just one win over the final two games to clinch their first ever state tournament berth. However, even with the bases loaded in game three with a chance to win it, the Spartans failed to convert, the Patriots came to bat and homered, and the season closed on a sour note.
Still, it was a fun and positive season for Spartan fans. They drew some of the biggest crowds, maybe the biggest crowd, in Spartan Field history. The community enjoyed showing up to games and supporting the team, and the Spartans almost reciprocated the favor with a trip to South Charleston.
The three seniors the team featured will be missed, and that is putting it lightly.
Gone are Lindsey Black, Josi Ervin and Olivia Plybon, three key cogs in the East softball wheel over the last few years. Black finished her senior season by leading the team in hitting with an average of .456. She also had 13 doubles, three triples, and drove in 25 runs. She led the team with 47 hits, and she scored a team-leading 8 runs. In the field, Black manned third base and finished with a good .935 fielding percentage.
Plybon, one of the better catchers in the area with a strong throwing arm, will be tough to replace as well. The St. Andrews (NC) University commit hit .326 at the plate with two home runs and 19 RBIs. She also had five doubles and scored 22 runs. Her .984 fielding percentage is self-explanatory of how good she was on defense from her backstop position.
Ervin, the ace of the pitching staff, leaves East with her name in the record books. Everyone knows Ervin on the mound with her 181 strikeouts in 125 innings. Her 1.28 ERA was one of the best in the area and she finished with a record of 16-5. For her career, Ervin totaled 423 career strikeouts which is believed to be the most in East softball history. But, even with all the pitching accolades, the future Concord Mountain Lion got it done at the plate is well, making her a legit two-way threat. She finished third on the team with a .368 average, was also third with 32 hits, had nine doubles, drove in 12 runs, and scored 35. She also banged her first homer of the year in the regionals against GW. Ervin leaves behind a legacy that will be tough to follow, but the good news is that the Spartans still return a lot of production next season, and should challenge again for the sectional title, at the very least.
Leading the way next year will be Taylor Boswell. The junior broke out this season and hit .425 at the plate. She was second on the team with 45 hits, led the squad with five home runs and with 41 RBIs. There was a stretch back in April where it was almost impossible to hold Boswell down in the batter’s box, and she seemed to hit the ball hard every time she batted. Her .885 FP was a good number considering a lot of balls were hit to her at short.
Lily Carola, Hailey Ervin, Gracie Gumm, Jenna Groves, Alanis McClary and Allyson Martin will also return next season giving the Spartans a well-rounded nucleus to work with.
Carola will be the odds-on favorite to take over Jo. Ervin’s no. 1 pitching spot. Carola was good when given the opportunity and when Ervin needed a rest. She pitched 54 innings, was 8-2, and had 82 strikeouts. Her ERA was 2.98 as well and the East coaches will be happy to bring back some experience on the mound. The junior also played first base and hit .294 with three home runs, five doubles and 23 RBIs.
Gumm (.356, 4 HR’s, 24 RBIs, 4 doubles, 30 runs), Ha. Ervin (.346, 7 doubles, 2 HR’s, 17 RBIs, 30 runs), McClary (.298, 5 doubles, 16 RBIs, 28 runs) and Groves (.277, 2 doubles, 17 RBIs, 15 runs) will bring back a wealth of experience. Groves will play first base when Carola pitches, and Gumm, Ha. Ervin and McClary have a plethora of experience in the outfield. Martin was used more on defense than offense and made several great defensive plays throughout the year, but she did get a home run in the middle of the year.
One player who could break out next year is Haley Byars. Byars was primarily used as a pinch runner this past season because of her speed and smarts on the basepaths, but her role could increase dramatically next season.
Liz Wooding, Hailey Heaster, and Madelyn Podsiadlik are other roster members, along with some JV players that will get more time, especially Wooding with her ability to catch behind the plate.
While losing three seniors who had become staples and recognizable faces around the softball program are huge losses, the Spartans have enough talent returning to be successful again. If a few players take the next step in their development, look for East to be right there challenging for titles next year as well.
