Lady Cavs season comes to a close

One year Later, my how things have changed for Carroll County Softball. CCHS falls 6-3 but the future is shuck full of potential.

Last year, shortly after the final out was recorded in a heart breaking 1-0 home loss to eventual state champion Northside, Carroll County head coach Rick Nester and I spent some time discussing the season that just ended as well as the season on the horizon.

Player by player we talked about the eight young ladies that had just played their final game at Cavalier Park. Two of that group, Lauren Alley and Macie Adkins, were about to head off to play college softball and multiple others had took turns making plays behind Emma Leath on the mound and hitting the ball all over the field.

When the conversation went to the 2023–2024 season it was all about how we would be the youngest team he had ever coached. Coach would point to home plate and say freshman, over to shortstop and say freshman, first base and say sophomore, and so on it went.

Fast Forward to opening night of this year and we had seven players seeing their initial action . There was Leath in the circle and fellow senior Katherine Lindamood, plus a large group of first-time players.

Friday, playing as the #4 seed and hosting #5 seed Lord Botetourt, once again the season ended just shy of the state tournament. Their Lady Cavaliers rallied to plate four runs after one out was recorded in the top of the seventh inning to defeat our Lady Cavaliers 6-3.

Both seniors had their moment in the sun as Lindamood singled in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning while Leath survived a rare shaky first inning of defense to not allow an earned run through six-plus innings.

Lord Botetourt finally broke through in the top of the seventh and while the setback was sooner than anyone was ready for, the mindset was completely different from last season.

Before we get to the future, we will let head Coach Nester put the present into perspective.

“Over the years I have lost count of the number of teams that I have coached and know is that it’s over 130. This is one of the best teams with their level of ball and the awesome young ladies that they are,” Nester said. “It has been a pleasure to work with them and coach them throughout the season. This team has accomplished goals that have far exceeded all expectations going into the season.”

Regular season of 17-3, Three River District champions and one of the few teams that have met our yearly goal of no one beats us twice and never losing two in a row.

Watching these young ladies go from our first game versus Pulaski with seven girls getting their first varsity start to tonight when we have three more underclassman contributing to the success of this season.

Many girls have exceeded high goals with record-breaking performances, multiple walk-off wins with various players stepping up to contribute to huge victories throughout the season.

This is a season that people will remember for years to come with the excitement and atmosphere created by these young ladies.

This has been an awesome season and I have enjoyed every minute of it! I would like to thank each of these ladies for their hard work, dedication and commitment to Carroll County Softball.”

Faith Clontz was lost for the season due to surgery. Next up was the loss of Isabella Norman to an injury and finally the setback of Addie Greene to a high ankle sprain. Greene did everything possible to make herself available for the game with LBHS and to her credit and those who helped nurse her back as close to health as possible, she played tonight.

Both teams plated two runs in the first inning before both pitchers took turns posting zeros on the scoreboard. No one came close to scoring until Lindamood drove in Emma Harman to give Carroll County its first lead of the game at 3-2.

Last year when the season ended the question was who would be there to play behind Leath? After Leath takes her 700-plus strikeouts off to college shortly, the new version of the question about the future will be about life after Leath and Lindamood?

Greene should be one of the mainstays inside the Circle next year and Carlie Beamer, the lone junior on the team, will need to fill Lindamood’s shoes in providing leadership in addition to playing.

Everyone else should be back at it, one year older, one year wiser and one year stronger. Next season won’t be about how young they are but about how hard working and determined they are.

Lord Botetourt advances to the Regional Semi-finals to play the winner of Christiansburg-Pulaski County.

Both Leath and Lindamood will be back in action together on June 18 down at Emory & Henry. They accepted invitations to play in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes All-Star game taking place at 3:30 p.m.

Leath was informed by Coach Nester earlier in the day she had been voted to the First Team All-District squad and was the Player of the Year.

Nester received the honor of being the Coach of the Year.

Also making the List :

Holly Miller — second team outfield

Natalie Burress- second team catcher

Katherine Lindamood- second team DP

Emma Harman- honorable mention infield

Addie Greene- honorable mention infield

Lord B. 200 000 4 — 6 9 1

Carroll 200 001 0 — 3 3 4

Thomas and Russell (LB); Leath and Burress (CC). WP — Thomas. LP — Leath. 2B — Russell (LB). 3B — Russell (LB).