Scotland softball players (top row; left to right) Natalie Smith, Summer Locklear, Addison Johnson, Lindsay Locklear, Carleigh McKeithan, Sydnee Dial, (bottom row; left to right) Avery Stutts, Chaslyn Clark, Madison Dixon, Dawson Blue, Kinsey Hamilton, and Nateya Scott pose for a picture during practice on Feb. 27. Scotland softball opens their season on March 1 against Western Harnett High School in Lillington.
Photo| Brandon Hodge/ The Laurinburg Exchange
Scotland softball seniors Natalie Smith (left), Carleigh McKeithan (center), and Sydnee Dial (right) pose for a picture during practice on Feb. 27. Smith and McKeithan signed to play softball at Guilford College on Jan. 24 while Dial will sign to play softball at Columbia International University on March 3.
Photo| Brandon Hodge/ The Laurinburg Exchange
LAURINBURG — Defense wins championships.
It’s the common cliche for a team with a durable defense. But, for Scotland High School softball head coach Adam Romaine, it’s the recipe for success within his program.
Coming off a year, in which they went 21-5 overall and won both, the Sandhills Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, the Scots will look to replace five seniors — Olivia Hyatt, Kadence Sheppard, Morgan Singletary, Raven Taylor, and Taylor Waitley — that were key in boasting a top defensive squad in the SAC last year.
“Defensively, we’ve got some big shoes to fill,” Romaine said. “Those five seniors that left were key ingredients to probably the best defensive team I’ve witnessed at Scotland in a long time; under my coaching tenure, it’s by far the best defensive team we’ve had.”
The seniors weren’t just a force on defense, however; four of the five also led the Scots in batting average last season with Waitley leading the team at .430.
Offensively, Romaine feels his team will have to work harder for runs this season.
“We’re gonna be a little bit weaker offensively this year,” Romaine said. “You tell me last February, first of March, to compare the two teams; offensively, we had a better offensive outputting team also with those five seniors. We’re gonna have to play real strong defense behind our pitching; our pitching is gonna keep us in the games, we’ve just gotta find ways to score runs.”
Pitching will be one of Scotland’s strong suits this year with sophomore Avery Stutts and senior Sydnee Dial returning to the mound. Stutts posted a 1.32 ERA and won SAC ‘Pitcher of the Year’ last season, and Dial had a 1.64 ERA with an 8-1 record.
“They’re flip-flopping in right now; one’s gonna pitch a game, (the other) another game,” Romaine said of Stutts and Dial. Both are kind of nursing…some aches and pains right now they’re working through cause they’ve taken some down time off, so we may actually go three innings and four innings, which really disrupts a team when a team has to adjust to a new pitcher in the middle of a game, especially when we’re gonna have two good pitchers. So, we’re not losing nothing, whoever starts and the other one comes in.”
Stutts put in extra work during the offseason to continue her growth and excel as a pitcher.
She said one of the things she especially focused on is her mental game.
“It’s a really big mental game up there, especially when you’re down in the count (or) down in runs; you’ve just got to push through mentally,” Stutts said.
Dial was out for over half of last season with an elbow issue but is back to begin the season, according to Romaine.
She said she has spent the offseason getting herself back to full strength from her injury.
“I’ve really been trying to improve my arm strength, due to my injury, and having to get back in shape, and getting back my stamina,” Dial said.
To go along with pitching, Stutts and Dial can play multiple positions for the Scots. Both can play at third base, while Stutts is also a first baseman, and Dial, an outfielder.
Some new faces will also be out on the field for the Scots this season in freshmen Kinsey Hamilton and Dawson Blue. Hamilton will play outfield and utility, while Blue doesn’t have a set position yet.
Both will start on varsity at the beginning of the year, Romaine said.
“Kinsey Hamilton and Dawson Blue have really shown some impressive pieces out of them,” Romaine said. “We’ve put (Kinsey) at three different positions in the last couple of weeks and she knew what she was doing very well. Dawson Blue has been swinging the bat very well in workouts and practice; impressed with that. Waiting to see how that carries over here at the varsity level, and she’ll probably have a few stepping stones to get over early, seeing (that) we’re gonna be facing some good pitching in our nonconference games that begin the season, but I feel like she’ll adjust well to it.”
Outfielders Madison Dixon, Carleigh McKeithan, and Natalie Smith, utilities Addison Johnson, Chaslyn Locklear, Nateya Scott, and Lindsay Locklear, and second baseman Summer Locklear are all key pieces for this year’s team, as well. Dixon is also a catcher and McKeithan plays second and third base, as well.
McKeithan will make her return to the field this year after missing all of last season with a softball related issue. McKeithan is also one of three seniors on this year’s team, along with Smith and Dial.
With a different-looking team this year, Romaine believes the Scots will still be near the top of the standings in the SAC, after going 11-1 a season ago.
“Definitely will be one of the top two (or) three teams in the conference again this year,” Romaine said. “Everybody is looking at Scotland High right now as hey, they lost five good seniors, and they’re in a rebuild; their mindset’s gonna be that we’re in a down year, that this is the year to get Scotland. We’re looking to prove them wrong on that piece.”
The Scots open their 2023 season on the road at Western Harnett High School in Lillington on March 1. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.
Reach Brandon Hodge at bhodge@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BrandonHSports.