By TIM GAYLE
Despite losing nearly every position player from 2017, the expectations remained high for Alabama Christian Academy’s softball team.
That’s because the Eagles had two of the state’s best pitchers, senior Lacey Spear and sophomore Haley Pittman.
And while ACA didn’t quite match the annual high expectations – finishing fifth in the 4A state tournament – Pittman did, recording team-best statistics both at the plate and in the circle for the Eagles.
“She throws the ball hard, moves it around, understands (the game),” ACA coach Chris Goodman said. “Alyssa Clark (at catcher) does a great job calling pitches for us, so they’re just a solid duo. (Pittman) is understanding the game, how to pitch, where to spot pitches at, how to change speeds better. She’s going to be a special one before it’s over with.”
Pittman, who is committed to playing softball at the University of Florida, was an easy choice as the Capital City Conference’s Player of the Year. Both Pittman and Spear, the 2017 Capital City Conference Player of the Year, were the only unanimous picks on the team, which is chosen by the conference’s coaches for the Montgomery Independent.
Pittman, batting third in the lineup, batted .464 with 77 hits, 53 RBIs and 15 doubles to lead the team in all four categories. In the circle, she was 28-6 with a 0.93 earned run average and 331 strikeouts in 196, leading the area in all four categories.
Spear was 19-6 with a 2.59 earned run average and 193 strikeouts in 143 innings pitched. At the plate, she batted .310 with 35 runs, which was second best on the team.
Teammates on the all-CCC team included freshmen Rose Costanza and Haley Ingram and senior Natalie Faulkner. Costanza, the Eagles’ third baseman, was the only player returning to her 2017 position at the start of the season, while Ingram stepped into a starting role in the outfield and was among the team’s top hitters all season.
Faulkner, who played second base last season, stepped into a starting role at catcher to fill in for the injured Clark and caught Pittman and Spear for much of the year while committing only two errors at the position. When Clark returned, Faulkner returned to her original position at shortstop.
Area tournament runner-up Catholic placed three players on the team, including the Knights’ top hitter, shortstop Aleigha Walden, the top power hitter in outfielder Mackenzie Norton and the team’s top pitcher, Alanna Aiken. Aiken, a freshman, had a team-best 12 wins in 29 appearances to join Pittman and Spear in the circle.
Saint James and Trinity each placed two players on the team. The Trojans’ lone senior, Micala Fisanick, as the CCC Player of the Year in girls’ basketball and returned to the diamond this season to serve as a leader for the youthful Trojans. Hannah Grace Griggs was among the team’s top hitters and set the tone as the leadoff hitter.
Trinity was just as inexperienced. The Wildcats’ top pitcher, Miller Johnson, never returned to the circle after suffering a leg injury in basketball but did return to the lineup as a designated hitter. She was joined on the all-CCC team by fellow senior McKenna Franklin, the team’s first baseman.
2018 All-CCC softball team
1B – McKenna Franklin, Sr., Trinity
2B – Hannah Grace Griggs, Fr., Saint James
3B – Rose Costanza, Fr., Alabama Christian
SS – Aleigha Walden, Sr., Catholic
C – Natalie Faulkner, Sr., Alabama Christian
DH – Miller Johnson, Sr., Trinity
OF – Micala Fisanick, Sr., Saint James
OF – Mackenzie Norton, Fr., Catholic
OF – Haley Ingram, Fr., Alabama Christian
P – Lacey Spear, Sr., Alabama Christian
P – Haley Pittman, So., Alabama Christian
P – Alanna Aiken, Fr., Catholic
Player of the Year – Haley Pittman, Alabama Christian
Coach of the Year – Chris Goodman, Alabama Christian
Honorable Mention – Carrie Belsterling, Sr., OF, Catholic; Christa Boswell, Sr., OF, Alabama Christian; Savannah Christian, Fr., P, Saint James; Jessie Clark, Sr., C, Catholic; Cam Greene, 8th, OF, Saint James; Nona Johnson, Fr., 1B, Catholic; Katherine O’Connor, So., OF, Catholic; Morgan Parrish, Fr., C, Saint James; Baylee Perkins, Jr., 2B, Alabama Christian; Chloe Walden, Fr., DH, Catholic; Nikki Walker, So., 3B, Catholic; Macie Wilson, Jr., DH-P, Saint James.