Editor’s Note: The All-County team is chosen with stats provided to The Advocate & Democrat as well as experiences in coverage and coaches recommendations
The 2024 season of softball has come to a close.
Across the three months, 10 players stood out for area teams, using their prowess to keep the team competing for titles or helping the group accomplish their goals.
Alicia Kimble has been amongst the best players in the area for years and she ends her senior season earning the Player of the Year award. Behind and at the plate, the Sequoyah star has pummeled the ball while putting the Lady Chiefs’ pitchers at ease in the circle.
Kimble led the county with 41 hits, 12 home runs and a three-way joint lead on doubles with nine. She also batted .500 with a .564 on-base percentage and 1.049 slugging number while striking out only six times.
Behind the plate, Kimble caught 138 innings with seven runners caught stealing and five pickoffs — all three being the most in the county.
Dealing from the circle, Kaleigh Atchley has been essential for Sequoyah and named Pitcher of the Year. Her powerful arm and placement saw her toss 71 innings in a shortened season where she struck out 103 batters — nearly one-third of batters faced — and allowed only 25 earned runs with a 2.47 ERA and leaving 67 runners stranded. She allowed 72 hits.
At the plate, Atchley batted .343 with 24 hits, 11 RBIs and 22 runs scored.
Sarah Davies’ Sweetwater got noticeably better as the season progressed. The Lady Wildcats’ performance on the field improved and results started to come more consistently.
Of the team’s eight wins, five came on or after April 12.
The team limited errors, made moves around the field and in the circle that turned the tide and took rival Tellico to their final out.
The swing culminated in the District 3-2A first round where Sweetwater eliminated McMinn Central — a team that swept the Lady Wildcats in the regular season — with a 7-3 win that saw the Lady Wildcats advance into the final four of the district tournament.
Tellico Plains’ Taylor Rose continued her strong career into her junior year. The Lady Bear batted .342 with a share of the team-high 26 hits while leading the team in runs scored.
Rose also added 10 extra-base hits and 23 RBIs to go with a .412 on-base percentage and a .539 slugging percentage.
At shortstop, Rose finished with 47 putouts, 19 assists and played a part in two double plays.
Lilly Woodruff burst on the scene for Sweetwater. The three-sport freshman batted .437 with a .469 on-base percentage and a .609 slugging percentage — all team highs.
She also led Sweetwater with 38 hits, seven doubles and two home runs. She co-led the team with 16 RBIs while striking out only eight times across 96 plate appearances.
In the field, she turned 19 putouts and 31 assists.
Kadence Moses became the solo ace for Tellico Plains this season. The sophomore led the county with 101.1 innings pitched and 139 strikeouts while whiffing 31.1% of batters faced. Moses finished the campaign allowing 42 earned runs and a 2.90 ERA.
At the plate, Moses batted .316, the third-best average in Tellico, with 24 hits, 16 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
Sequoyah needed to find offensive firepower to compete this season and they found that in Shae Ahlstrom. The junior powered to a .406 batting average, the third-best in the county, with a .519 on-base percentage and a .609 slugging stat.
She totaled 26 hits with three home runs, 10 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
Tynleigh Ray continued to be one of the top infielders in the area for her senior season. The Sequoyah Lady Chief totaled 78 catches with 38 assists — a county high — as well as 38 putouts and turning two double plays while having only two errors all season. She notched a .974 fielding percentage.
Ray batted .293 with a .354 on-base percentage and 22 hits. She earned 25 RBIs to go with 16 runs scored.
Batting .356 with a .562 slugging percentage, Meya Keener was influential to Tellico’s offense. The junior notched 26 hits, sharing the team high, and nine doubles, sharing the county high. She also found 22 RBIs.
Keener finished the year with 57 putouts and played a part in two double plays.
Kalli Yates-Matoy continued to be an important face in Tellico. The junior caught 104 innings with only nine passed balls while catching three runners stealing and picking one off. She also finished with 111 putouts and no errors.
Offensively, Yates-Matoy batted .314 with a .400 on-base number. She totaled 22 hits, 13 RBIs and two home runs.
Sweetwater’s turnaround was the story of the season and senior Ella Morgan was influential in that. She pitched 89 innings for the Lady Wildcats. Her longest outing of the season was the April 12 win that started the momentum swing.
Morgan struck out 59 batters and left 74 on base. She finished with a 5.35 ERA.
At the plate, Morgan batted .277 with 26 hits, four doubles and nine RBIs.
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