Lady Seahawks lift record to 7-2
Lady Seahawk junior catcher Alexis Webb rounds the bases after swatting her second home run of the game against Port St. Joe. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]
Lady Seahawk senior pitcher Sarah Ham is leading Class 1A softball in all of its pitching categories. [ David Adlerstein | The Times ]
A six-game win streak, highlighted by a win at home over Port St. Joe, has propelled the Franklin County Lady Seahawks softball team to a 7-2 record.
On Friday at home, Coach Dirk Strunk saw the win streak snapped in a 12-4 loss to Bratt Northview, despite home runs by junior catcher Alexis Webb and senior first baseman Michalyn O’Neal.
Webb’s solo homer marked her fifth of the season, including two for extra bases that she launched over the fence in the team’s 6-1 win at home over the St. Joe Lady Tiger Sharks March 3. This was her second game in a row with two home runs, as she launched bombs Feb. 27 in the Lady Hawks 10-1 home win.
Ham struck out 10 and gave up one earned run in the St. Joe win.
While the win over St. Joe brought celebration to the Franklin County fans, Strunk tempered his enthusiasm.
“We played a good game, but we still have a lot to work on,” he said. “One thing we’ve got to get better at is taking advantage of the situation[ we left too many runners on base. We had bases loaded with one out and weren’t able to score. This type of thing can’t happen.
“But I’m proud of our girls and the way they played. It’s a long season, we have to continue to take things one day at a time. Control what we can control, which is our attitude and work ethic,” he said.
The team began its win streak with a 5-4 win in Bristol over Liberty County Feb. 25.
Senior pitcher Sarah Ham struck out seven and walked three as she allowed three earned runs, and managed to pitch herself out of some bases-loaded jams.
“Our girls played hard and made plays when they had to,” said Strunk. “We have to be mentally and physically ready for everything this season will throw at us. There are no easy games; we have to bring our A game every day. We have some really good depth and it will be put to use over the course of the season.”
Following the Wewa win, the team bested Taylor County 13-1 at home Feb. 28, as Ham struck out eight and gave up just two hits. Sophomore Peyton Jones launched two homers and junior Mateah McClendon one in the win.
On March 4 at home, Ham struck out 11 as she one-hit the St. John Paul II Lady Panthers, who fell 11-1 in five innings. McClendon smacked a home run in this game as well.
On Friday at home, the Lady Seahawks waited until the sixth inning to get on the board, as they edged the Belleview Lady Rattlers. Ham struck out 13 and just three hits in the win, as she currently leads Class 1A softball in all pitching categories.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.