SPRING GARDEN – Ann Welsh remembers her first year coaching softball at Spring Garden. The Lady Panthers had just switched over to fast pitch, and they won four games her first year.
A lot has changed since that time. Now, the Lady Panthers are perennially one of the top teams in the state, but the current fast-pitch foundation can be traced back to Welsh’s first team back in 2002.
On Monday at home against Piedmont, Spring Garden welcomed back its alumni through the years. They saw freshman catcher Maggie Jarrett deliver a pair of doubles, one of which scored the Lady Panthers’ first run. She also threw out a pair of Piedmont runners in Spring Garden’s 2-0 victory.
“It’s hard coming in when the team is really hyped up (from the alumni being there),” Jarrett said. “You get out there and there’s so much stress, but once you get that hit, it just feels so much better because you’ve got your team behind you that’ll come in and have your back up at the plate.
“It was very special for them (alumni) to see a win. It’s special for me and it really built my confidence. Some of them I don’t really know. It was really special to show them I had a good game and show them what I’ve got.”
Welsh said her young catcher “played really well all around.”
“She’s been hitting good lately, but we just haven’t had anybody on,” Welsh said. “She come up in two good situations right there. For the last couple of years, she’s worked hard on throw downs. She’s thrown several people out this year, and I was proud to see that in this game. She was spot-on.”
Speaking of spot-on, senior pitcher Abbey Steward was pretty much that herself all afternoon. She allowed just two hits and finished with nine strikeouts for the Lady Panthers (11-7).
“I was ready to pitch,” Steward said. “That was the first game I pitched in a couple of weeks and I was just ready to get back out there. I knew I had to stay ahead of them if we wanted to win, and I knew my defense was going to be there. It’s easier being ahead instead of working back all the time. It makes your life a little bit easier.”
The two teams were scoreless through 3 ½ innings before Steward led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to center. Jarrett drove in pinch runner Timi Scogin with a double to center to give the Lady Panthers a 1-0 advantage.
Spring Garden added another run on Helena Ingram’s grounder to second. Piedmont second baseman Savannah Smith attempted to throw out pinch runner Olivia Law at third, but Law dashed home to give put the Lady Panthers up 2-0.
From there, Steward and the defense took care of the rest. Steward got in bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth with two outs, but retired the side on Jenna Calvert’s deep fly ball to center.
In the top of the seventh, Lady Panther shortstop Neely Welsh quickly retired two Piedmont hitters on grounders. Following a single to right by nine-hole hitter Jaycee Glover, Steward struck out leadoff batter Cacey Brothers to end the game.
“We’ve been struggling the past few games, so to see us play good defense is a good sign going in close to area,” Steward said. “I’m proud of our defense for stepping up.”
Steward was also glad to win in front of the softball alumni.
“It’s pretty special with the girls coming back, getting to see our new (softball) building. It boosts your confidence a little bit when they come and show their support. It’s really nice, even though we didn’t play with most of them. It’s still nice to see their support and the love they have for us.”
“I was proud to get to see them again. It was special,” Welsh said. “It is fun to bring them back and I know they enjoyed it.”
Pitcher Emily Farmer suffered the loss for the Lady Bulldogs. She allowed two runs on seven hits with a pair of walks and six strikeouts. Farmer also had a single at the plate.
Cayla Brothers walked three times for the Lady Bulldogs.