Slow-Pitch Days End Here

Piedmont Academy’s slow-pitch softball days have come to an end.

Beginning next fall the Lady Cougars will compete at the fast-pitch level joining a trend that has now become the norm in the GISA.

In its final season of slow-pitch, Piedmont finished fourth in the state and third in the region. The Lady Cougars won 11 games and had to play the state runner-up and third-place finisher four times each during the regular season.
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Three players were named All-Region including juniors Diana Hardy and Mandi Pulliam along with eighth grader Carrie Tucker. All three played in the GISA All-Star game last Saturday at Nathanael Greene.

Tucker finished the season with a .596 batting average with 37 runs and 26 RBIs. Tucker led the team in most offensive categories.

Pulliam compiled a .435 average with 22 RBIs and 21 runs while Hardy batted .415 with 29 runs and 16 RBIs.

In addition to the three All-Region players, Piedmont was led by four seniors this fall—Kaci Turner, Libby Aiken, Heather Lewis and Jennifer Knight.

Lewis was the winning pitcher in all 11 games and Turner played well at third base, coach Danny Camp said. Knight played at second base and in the outfield and batted .333 this fall. Aiken was one of the most improved batters and finished with a .393 average.

“Kaci, Libby and Heather were in the program for five years and Jennifer was with us for two,” Camp said. “They are great kids who enjoyed competing. We will miss them and wish them well.”

Other top players for the Lady Cougars included sophomore Bailey Myers who finished with a .387 batting average and freshman Ashton Brooks who batted .288. Brooks played in the outfield and infield this season but will likely be used in the infield when fast-pitch begins.

Also contributing to the team’s success in 2003 were junior Elysse Lewandowski, freshman Beth Reese and eighth graders Emily Beckham, Kirstie Lewis and Jennifer Mobley.

The 10 underclassmen on this year’s varsity slow-pitch team played two exhibition fast-pitch games recently. Piedmont defeated Briarwood 4-2 and Nathanael Greene 9-3.

“It was good to give them a look at playing fast-pitch,” Camp said. Piedmont will compete in Region 1-AA next year.