Lady Dragons shine in sunshine state tourney

March 20, 2024 by Ken Lay

Clinton High School’s softball team opened its 2024 season in Panama City, Florida, in the Bash at the Beach.

The Lady Dragons took both their varsity and junior varsity teams to the Gulf Coast, with the varsity squad winning two of its five games as Head Coach Leonard Sams mixed the parts of his roster.

“We were playing everybody,” he said. “We’re still moving people around and everybody got to play, and all of our pitchers got to pitch.

“Anytime you go to the beach, you’re going to see some good teams, good competition,” he said. “But we kind of used this like spring training, and we’re still moving people around and we have a very talented freshman class.”

In their season opener on Monday, March 11, the Lady Dragons (2-3) edged Wewahitchhka, 3-1.

Sophomore Elizabeth Graham hit a solo home run, and Heaven Britt-Kimbriel went 1-for-3, with a triple and an RBI.

Bree McKamey had a solid first outing in the circle as she tossed a complete game, going seven innings. She posted 11 strikeouts, while giving up just one run and two hits.

Marissa Eccles singled, scored and drove in a run for the Lady Dragons, while Taylor Sherwood collected a hit.

After winning their tournament opener to kick off the 2024 campaign, the Lady Dragons lost their next three games. They fell to Science Hill 8-1, and dropped a pair of contests to North Bay Haven, falling 11-0 and 7-1.

Clinton closed the tournament with a 12-6 victory over Bay High, another Florida team.

Sherwood went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs, closing a frustrating week for her on a high note.

“We hit the ball pretty well,” Sams said. “We hit the ball hard. We hit missiles everywhere.

“Taylor hit missiles all over the place,” he said. “She hit the ball hard, but every time she hit it, it seemed like she hit it right at somebody.

“I felt sorry for Taylor because she got robbed of two home runs to center field, and she hit a hard line drive to shortstop that about took the girl’s hand off and she didn’t even know that she caught it,” Sams said.

In the tournament finale, senior shortstop Tomi Taylor went 1-for-3 and scored twice.

Meanwhile, Lynnlee Adkins went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs in the game.