INMAN, S.C. – It has been a steady progression for the Chapman Panther softball program over the past three seasons since Casey Green took the reins of the program for which she once played.
The Panthers advanced to the Upper State round in 2022, finishing four wins shy of a state championship appearance. During the 2023 campaign, Chapman played their way to the Upper State championship before falling by a 7-2 margin to Crescent. Chapman struck first in the opening frame as Krislyn Wilder drew a walk and sprinted home on an Abby Gossett RBI single to left-center field. Crescent plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning for a 3-1 lead. Sarah Byrd led off the third by reaching base and swiping second moments later. Byrd advanced to third base on a groundout and crossed home plate on a passed ball, which cut the deficit to a 3-2 margin at that juncture of the contest. Though that run wasn't enough to get Chapman past the Tigers, it helped reveal the Lady Panthers' potential -- while cementing the fact that this team belonged where it was. “It’s a good place to be,” Green said. “Ultimately, the hard part is not the loss but knowing you won’t be playing with those two (Byrd and Gossett) anymore is tough. I looked at our two seniors and told them that (our team) would be back in this same game again next year. That’s our goal and I truly think that we will be back.” The Panthers posted a remarkable 22-7 record that saw them sweep all eight region games en route to the Region 3-3A title. During the Upper State round, Chapman notched a pair of road wins over Daniel and Wren, respectively. Green points to several things as strengths not only for the team in 2023, but in the years moving forward. “They came to play ball and showed out at the plate,” Green stated. They showed tenacity throughout a long season. We basically start at the beginning of January and here we are finishing up at the end of May. It’s a long season and they showed a lot of grit.” With the season’s end, the Panthers will see seniors Sarah Byrd and Abby Gossett both move on to play collegiately at Spartanburg Methodist College and Wofford, respectively, after outstanding careers on the varsity level. According to Green, the duo has made an enormous impact on the program that goes beyond the field. “Both of them are six year varsity players,” remarked Green. “I’ve had three years with them. Not only are they great ball players who will continue their careers locally in college, but they are awesome human beings. They’re great to be around and you just really couldn’t ask for two better girls. That’s what we’re going to miss – two dang good kids.” Chapman will return an experienced group next season that includes the likes of Hailey Coley, Autumn Fisher, Reagan Garrett, Kayla Hardin, Rylan Ivey, Sam McPhail, Sophie Whitley, and Krislyn Wilder. Byrd, Fisher, Garrett, Gossett, Ivey, and Wilder each received All-Region recognition. Green was named Region 3-3A Coach of the Year, while Garrett earned region Player of the Year honors. Byrd was chosen to play in the North/South game, while Garrett and Fisher were named to the All-State team. Comments are closed.
|
Our SponsorsArchives
October 2023
Categories |