Weddington High
Conference: Southern Carolina Conference
Coach: Claire Lyerly
2016 Record: 3-17 overall
Between the Lines: Weddington has just two seniors and four freshmen on the 12-player roster. … Junior Lindsay Perillo has verbal committed to Western Carolina.
Weddington High has a lot of new faces on the softball field but coach Claire Lyerly likes what she has seen from the Warriors six games into the season. Weddington is 2-4 after its first six games but Lyerly said the team is improving with each game.
Weddington has just two seniors on the squad and several younger players are contributing as the team prepares for the conference opener March 21 at home against Cuthbertson.
“They are motivated young learners right now,” Lyerly said. “There is lots of potential and they are eager to learn. We have a lot of good raw talent out there.”
Junior Ansley Paris is the Warriors top pitcher and brings experience to the circle after pitching as a freshman and sophomore. Lyerly said she is currently looking for a second player to step up and contribute on the mound.
“She is not your typical looking pitcher, she is a tiny thing,” Lyerly said. “She does stuff with the ball that makes teams think a little bit. Opponents have to adjust to her pitching. She is very poised on the mound and she believes in the defense behind her.
“She is the true definition of a leader on the field.”
Weddington has scored 41 runs in its first six games and Lyerly hopes that trend continues.
“We are putting runs on the board,” Lyerly said. “That’s kind of crazy for a six game run at it. We are putting runs up. Hopefully in the next games before conference starts, we will work some of those kinks out.”
Senior outfielder Marissa Toscano is currently one of the Warriors top offensive threats. Junior Lindsay Perillo is also producing at the plate after batting .391 with 27 hits and 18 RBIs as a sophomore. Perillo has already committed to Western Carolina to play softball.
“Those two have been hitting the ball real hard,” Lyerly said. “They have a great eye for a strike and they know what their zone is. They are willing to attack a first pitch if they see it. They are both very disciplined at the plate.”
Freshman Miranda Powers is also off to a solid start at the plate for the Warriors. “She has a real strong bat and she knows her strike zone,” Lyerly said. “She has had a lot of multiple pitch at-bats. She is really working the count and going deep into the count.”
