What should have been a rebuilding season for Tattnall’s varsity softball program turned out to be the first season in which TSA came home with a win after entering the Elite 8 in Columbus. The loss of five senior starters from last year’s team combined with young players this year didn’t seem to deter the Lady Trojans (26-9) who finished the season in 3rd place at the GHSA A Private State Softball Championship series.

“We had our share of adversity to overcome this season,” commented Head Coach Joey Hiller. “Several girls were injured or had sicknesses that sidelined them for periods of time. I thought our team did a fantastic job of adapting to those circumstances.  When our SS, Freshman Jaelyn Darley was sidelined with a broken finger, we had to shuffle several players around, but we continued to play well.  It’s good to face those kinds of challenges because it builds character and shapes who we are. Jaelyn was our leadoff hitter and hitting .500 when she broke her finger, so we lost a very productive run-scoring leadoff hitter,” remarked Hiller.

After powering through the regular season, TSA was set to play Stratford on Day 1 in Columbus. A devastating loss to a team they had previously dominated should have once again sidelined the team. “I am so proud of how the girls pulled together on Day 2 of the Elite 8. They fought hard to earn our first ever win in the Elite 8 with a 10-1 win against Mt. Pisgah.  Once they had accomplished that, Ashleigh Morton pitched a No Hitter against Christian Heritage in a 9-0 win, and then shutout Stratford on Day 3 in a very tight 2-0 ballgame,” recalled Hiller.

The momentum of Day 2 and 3 weren’t quite enough to carry the Lady Trojans through a matchup against Wesleyan, and the team fell 5-0 after a late grand slam in the bottom of the 6th inning.

“For us to overcome a Day 1 loss in Columbus with a team this young and inexperienced and gain enough momentum to finish in 3rd Place in the Elite 8 was a huge accomplishment for our program.”

“I think the positive experience in Columbus will only help motivate us to win a few more games over there and wind up on top. And we should be set up very well for next season  losing only one senior in Kristen Johnson,” said Hiller. With standout players like Allie Gordon and Ashleigh Morton returning for their senior year, TSA is poised for greatness. “Allie and Ashleigh both had monster seasons for us. Allie batted .505 (55/109), setting the single season record for Batting Average, and she had 40 RBI, 30 Runs Scored, 15 Doubles, 1 Triple, and 5 HR. Ashleigh was 21-8 with an ERA of 1.55, 118 Strikeouts, and only 19 walks in 184 innings,” described Hiller.

Even more encouraging is the crop of middle school players who are likely to play key roles at the next level for the Lady Trojans next year. After winning their 8th consecutive Middle School Championship title, the group promises to add critical support for TSA. “The middle school program has a long standing tradition of winning, and each year I am more and more impressed with the type of competitors we have on these teams,” commented Head MS Coach Courtney Absher.

Key players like Meghan Sharpe, Madyson Atwater, Grace Hiller, and Logan Childs will be looking to advance to the next level. In only 14 games, Grace hit .588 with 3 Doubles, 2 Triples, and 1HR, 18 RBI, 23 Runs Scored, and 16 Stolen Bases. Logan hit .432 with 3 Doubles, 1 Triple, 12 RBI, and 19 Runs Scored. Sharpe is also likely to add pitching depth next season as she was 12-2 with a .94 ERA, 60 Strikeouts, and only 4 Walks in 69 innings of work. “These girls are very tough and work really hard to maintain such a high level of excellence. Each individual player has contributed in her own way to the team. I truly look forward to the years to come,” stated Absher.    

Please help us congratulate all of these young ladies on an outstanding season!

Middle School

Madyson Atwater, ’21

Hannah Burns, ’21

Logan Childs, ’21

Grace Hiller, ’21

Megan Sharpe, ’21

Taylor Adams, ’22

Makayla Bramlett, ’22

Martha Kate Gillis, ’22

Kaitlyn Hallman, ’22

Kaci Paul, ’22

Allie Bryan, ’23

Kaitlyn Childs, ’23

Lindsey Paul, ’23