Addison Bryant leads the team on offense and on the pitching rubber six games through the season.
The Gillespie High School softball team is off to a strong start to the 2017 spring season. After six games, the team’s record stands at 5-1 and they have outscored their opponents 54-22.
The Miners haven’t had any trouble at the plate in their first six games of the season. The team’s batting average stands at .375 with 66 hits and although most of the hits have been one-baggers, the Miners are averaging three extra-base hits and one home run per game.
Addison Bryant, the pitching and hitting duo for Gillespie who has already committed to collegiate softball at Lincoln Land Community College, leads the team at the plate with a .524 average, 10 RBI’s and two home runs. Bryant is also 4-1 on the mound for Gillespie with 55 strikeouts while Sydney Henrichs is 1-0 from the rubber.
Other driving forces behind the team’s offense are Rylee Jarman, Mackenzie Kasarda, Rylee Sarti and Sydney Henrichs. With each of them batting over .400, the group of four has a combined 35 hits and 22 RBI’s. Jarman leads the team in triples (2) while Kasarda leads the team in doubles (3) and shares the home run queen title with Bryant at two home runs.
Gillespie’s only road game this season was on Wednesday when they traveled to Triad and ousted them 7-0. The rest of the games have been at the team’s homestead behind Ben-Gil Elementary School where they have picked up their other four wins against Morrisonville (6-0), Auburn (4-0), Mt. Olive (11-5) and Dupo (12-5), and a loss to Edwardsville (9-12).
Plaguing the season for the Miners has been defensive errors and rainout cancellations. The team has committed 14 errors this season already – averaging more than two each game and 10 more than the 2016 season where they only had four errors after six games in the season. Rainout cancellations have cancelled four games for Gillespie in two weeks. Their opening game against Ramsey was rained out and last week’s game against Alton Marquette was canceled as well. This week’s games against Metro-East Lutheran on Monday and Highland on Thursday were also both canceled because of extensive amounts of rain.
The Miners are scheduled to travel to Greenville this afternoon for a 4:30 p.m. start and Vandalia this weekend for the Vandal Tournament.
Next week Gillespie is scheduled to play every night Monday through Friday. They will host Calhoun on Monday, Litchfield on Tuesday, travel to North Mac on Wednesday, then return home on Thursday and Friday to host Carlinville and Roxana, respected.