Making up for lost time
Elizabeth Graham is one of the faces of Clinton’s softball resurgence
Clinton High School’s Elizabeth Graham gets swarmed by teammates after a home run last Tuesday. She followed the dinger with a double, a triple, then a single to hit for the cycle. (photo:Ken Leinart )
And she’s emerging as a top offensive weapon in the heart of the Lady Dragons’ batting order.
After a two-year hiatus due to injury, Graham has returned to the game and she’s emerging as a bona fide offensive threat for Clinton. She opened the week batting .400.
She hit for the cycle on Tuesday, April 4, against crosstown and District 4-AA rival Anderson County in the Lady Dragons’ 9-2 league victory over the Lady Mavericks.
Graham went 4-for-4 against ACHS with a single, double, triple and home run. She also drove in four runs and scored another.
“She’s just a special kid,” CHS Coach Leonard Sams said of his freshman third-baseman. “She’s been out for two years. She was out in middle school during both her seventh- and eighth-grade years due to injury.”
Now Graham is back and she’s making the most of her chance in high school.
“She works really hard and she’s always listening to the coaches; she always listens intently,” Sams said. “And I really look for her to break a lot of records offensively at Clinton.”
Heading into the week, Graham had hit two home runs, three doubles and a triple. She has scored seven runs and recorded 10 RBIs.
The Lady Dragons had their entire weekend of games washed out in Chattanooga due to inclement weather.
But they were 10-5 overall and 3-1 in the district heading into Monday’s game against Walker Valley.
“We’ve played a tough, tough schedule,” Sams said. “Clinton High School is playing really well right now.”