Rosebud-Lott softball coach Keele Wells doesn’t like to change what’s working for her and she doesn’t like to disrupt the system that’s gotten her Lady Cougars the farthest they’ve ever advanced in the state playoffs.
So today, when the Lady Cougars (21-6) leave for their 6:30 p.m. Class 2A Region III final playoff game against Elysian Fields (31-9-1), there won’t be a big sendoff.
There won’t be a big party. There will just be about 20 girls quietly leaving town, sitting in the same seats on the bus they always sit on, and following the same ride routine they always enjoy.
“I know some schools do those things as you’re leaving,” Wells said. “We haven’t had that, but that’s just me. I don’t like to change up what we usually do. I’m real superstitious and that’s made them superstitious. We follow the same routine, go the same way and don’t change it up too much. I mean, they wear sleeves under their uniform even thought it’s 90-something degrees outside.”
That’s also why Wells, who has been married for less than a year, still goes by Coach Wells to her players - instead of her new legal name, Crouch - because that’s how they knew her.
The Lady Cougars are comfortable. But just as important, they are talented.
The District 20-2A champions had half of their lineup batting about .400, led by shortstop Julie Thornton, who hit .479 in the regular season, and second baseman Skylar Savage, right behind her at .476.
When asked who the best hitter on the team is, they generally agreed that there isn’t a true standout.
“It’s really off and on,” Thornton said. “But Skylar is always on. We have a lot that can hit the ball hard.”
Savage led the team in runs with 41 and stolen bases with 30 in the regular season, but pitcher Victoria Conners led the team in home runs with five and Thornton had 13 doubles.
But it’s like that up and down the lineup. Thornton had 32 runs batted in hitting in the third spot, but five other girls had more than 20. Six had at least three triples and five have hit homers.
Wells said that they all are good bunters, too, but it’s not a strategy she likes to employ often because of their ability to hit.
“I have some slappers, but if they are hitting well I usually let them go ahead and hit away,” she said. “We use the bunt depending on the situation. My one- and two-hole hitters (Savage and catcher Ellen Reid) can slap, have some speed and also can bunt, too. But they are good power hitters, so I don’t like to waste them on small ball when I know what they can do at the plate. It just depends on how it’s going.”
Savage also serves as a backup pitcher, with a 2-1 record and an earned-run average less than 2.00.
Even though Savage has finished several games in the playoffs and could be a dominant pitcher if given the chance, she said she likes it the way it is.
“I prefer it when (Victoria pitches),” she said. “I think we are all more comfortable.”
Conners said the same thing, indicating that she has a lot of faith in her defense when she’s in the circle and Savage is at second.
That faith and the faith in each other’s abilities have carried the Lady Cougars so far. They don’t have any seniors, so they’ve all had to step up and be leaders and have come to rely on each other for support.
“I think mostly they work together,” Wells said of why the Lady Cougars have found success. “They don’t get down on themselves. If something doesn’t go their way, they pick each other up.
“That’s how I’ve seen most teams crumble that we’ve played against - one error leads to another error, (and) that leads to another error. Everybody gets their heads down and they can’t come back from it. My girls don’t let themselves do that, and it’s been a big turning point since we got into the playoffs.”
And they don’t let youth work as an excuse. They use it as a motivator instead.
“We have everybody coming back, God willing,” Wells said. “But also they’ve worked so hard and come this far this year, I keep telling them, ‘You might as well get it done, then you can get it done again next year. If you don’t get it done this year then there is more pressure on you next year when you have a group of six seniors.’ But I think it will be exciting for them. It’s exciting for me.”
And if there is indeed truth in superstition, then the Lady Cougars have one more reason to look forward to tonight’s game.
Wells wanted a best-of-three series, hoping for a Friday-Saturday schedule. Elysian Fields wanted a single game, and with graduation Friday it wanted it today. If it was a one-gamer, Wells wanted Saturday.
Elysian Fields won the toss.
“I’ve lost them all to date,” Wells said with a laugh. “And I’ve really tried to win them. I’ve practiced flipping a coin with our baseball coach - not that there is any practice to it, but it hasn’t worked. So we’ll keep on losing (flips) and hopefully keep on winning games."
THE ELYSIAN FIELDS FILE
Elysian Fields (31-9-1) is a playoff regular, winning the state championship in 2005 and claiming the runner-up spot in 2006.
This year, the Yellowjackets finished tied for the District 18-2A title with Big Sandy Harmony but lost the playoff-seeding tiebreaker 4-1. Rosebud-Lott eliminated Harmony 2-0 in the Region III quarterfinals.
The Yellowjackets rely on the pitching of Blair Hickey, who has a 29-6 record with a 0.49 ERA and 259 strikeouts. Hickey’s two older sisters, Brooke and Baylee, were on the 2005 championship team that beat Troy in the final. Between the three of them, they hold almost all of the school’s pitching records and several of the hitting records.
The top hitter for Elysian Fields is Lacy Liles, who is batting .419 with 42 runs, 32 RBI and 32 stolen bases. However, she was 0-for-3 in a 3-2 win over Warren in the regional semifinals. Other top hitters are Cheryl Boyett (.316) and Savannah Quintana (.310).
mhood@temple-telegram.com
