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Lady Mustangs set to open in softball
Smoky Mountain’s softball team will open its season Tuesday, Feb. 28, with a 4 p.m. game at Hayesville.
The Lady Mustangs were scheduled to scrimmage Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Rosman and hold a multi-team scrimmage Saturday at the John Crowe Complex in Qualla.
Saturday’s scrimmage schedule is as follows:
10 a.m., Cherokee; noon, Murphy; 1 p.m., Hayesville; 2 p.m., Rosman.
“The girls are upbeat and seem to be excited about the season,” Coach Mark Taylor said.
SM went 6-14 a year ago and is looking for the first winning record in the program’s history. Five freshmen started for that team.
“Our experience is a strength,” Taylor said. “We only graduated one last year. All of the youth we had last year is coming back.”
Two of those freshmen – Megan Taylor and Cassie Randall – earned all-conference honors last season. Taylor is back to pitch while Randall, who played mostly in the outfield, may move to the infield.
Coach Taylor noted several of the other returnees will not be coming out until the basketball team, especially the JV squad, concludes its season.
The only player who graduated, first baseman Ameka Buchanan, will be tough to replace, Taylor said.
“I’m excited,” the coach said. “It’s almost like starting anew with the new conference. Some of the bad things that have been with you are no longer with you.”
Although the Lady Mustangs are moving to the Western Athletic 2-A Conference, Taylor cautioned that the competition will still be strong.
“Pisgah has long been a dominant team in Western North Carolina,” he said. “West Henderson was 18-3 a year ago. We’ve not played well against East Henderson.”
Pam Hyatt and Kim Hardy will serve as assistant coaches. It won’t be known whether a JV team will be fielded until the basketball players come out.
The schedule is as follows:
Feb. 28 – at Hayesville.
March 1 – at North Buncombe; 3 – at Murphy; 7 – at Franklin; 10 – Tuscola; 13 – Franklin; 14 – Asheville; 15 – Erwin; 20 – Murphy; 22 – at Tuscola; 24 – Pisgah; 28 – at Brevard; 31 – East Henderson.
April 4 – North Henderson; 5 – North Buncombe; 7 – at West Henderson; 19 – Hayesville; 21 – at Roberson; 22 – at Erwin; 25 – Brevard; 28 – at East Henderson.
May 2 – at North Henderson; 5 – West Henderson; 9 – at Pisgah.
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