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Lady Mikes seek more consistency in 2018

By Adam Brewer, For The Greene County Messenger 3 min read
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After an up-and-down 2017 season, the Carmichaels softball squad will look to bring more consistency on the diamond with a chance to compete for another section title.

The Lady Mikes posted an overall record of 17-7 last year and finished second place in Section 2-A behind WPIAL and PIAA champion West Greene with a 10-2 mark.

The postseason appearance was Carmichaels’ 18th over the last 20 seasons.

After a first-round bye, the Lady Mikes clobbered St. Joseph in the quarterfinals before falling to section rival Monessen in the semifinals.

Carmichaels rebounded with a victory over Leechburg in the third-place consolation game, but the Lady Mikes saw their season end with a first-round loss to DuBois Central Catholic in the state playoffs.

“There was a lot of ups and downs for us last season,” coach Dave Briggs said. “We played in a really good section and we did beat Monessen twice in the regular season. Unfortunately, Monessen got the best of us in the semifinals and then I think we played our worst game of the season against DuBois CC in the PIAA playoffs. We were really disappointed in our two playoff losses.”

The Lady Mikes lost five seniors from that squad, but will have some experience coming back in the circle with the return of sophomore pitcher Kylie Sinn.

Sinn had most of the starts in 2017, including all of the starts in the postseason, and finished her freshmen campaign with a 10-5 record.

One of her most stellar outings last year was in the third-place consolation game against Leechburg when she registered eight strikeouts in the 3-2 victory.

“She has a year under her belt and we expect big things from Kylie in the circle,” Briggs said.

“She is a pure athlete, a very hard worker and is a very intelligent kid. Her game is all about placement and movement of her pitches. But she is very sneaky with her strikeouts and I think that total will increase.”

Carmichaels’ defense, as well as its lineup, will once again be anchored by their lone senior and veteran starting catcher Megan Walker. Walker batted .397 last year with 10 doubles, 26 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

“She just has that natural ability behind the plate and is an outstanding athlete,” Briggs emphasized.

“She’s a great leader and has been a winner for this program since she was a freshman. She is one of the best all-around catchers I have coached and has been a big part to our success over the years.”

Other notable returnees for the Lady Mikes are juniors Gina Ranieri, Shelbee McCann, Madison Ewart and Emily Menhart.

Just like last year, Briggs expect Section 2-A to be extremely competitive.

“The top three teams in Section 2-A were the top three seeds in the Class A playoffs last season,” Briggs said. “I really think those three teams are the best in Class A. Competing in our section will help us out in the playoffs. California finished fourth in our section last year and they made a run in the playoffs. We can’t afford to take any days off in our section, and we must compete in every single game.”

After having their season opener versus Burgettstown on March 23 postponed, the Lady Mikes defeated Charleroi 12-2 in five innings on March 26 and lost 15-0 to Granville (Ohio) on March 30 at the Ripen Experience at Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Carmichaels was tentatively scheduled to open up section play on April 3 at California.

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