Morgan County softball has recently been on a tear and is in a good position a few games into region play.
After knocking off Jackson 8-0 on Tuesday, the Lady Dogs improved to 7-2 overall and 4-0 in the region.
Morgan County head coach Chad Pigg has been mostly pleased with his team’s success so far this season but said improvements can be made in a few areas, including quicker starts at the plate.
“We’re playing well, but we’re getting off to some slow starts,” Pigg said. “That’s been one of the things we’ve got to improve on. But we have a pretty athletic crew who can do a few different things.”
Players like Kymora Smith, Jayden Daniel, Payton Davis, and a few others have impacted the offense. These three are the core of the Lady Dogs’ lineup and helped start offensive rallies this year.
In a game earlier this season, Smith sparked the offense with two home runs in a win over Monroe Area. Daniel and Davis were also pivotal in their team’s win over Jackson earlier this week.
Pitcher Ryleigh Hilsman has also dominated from the circle, helping carry the team with a strong start. The junior has been consistent with her pitch selection, leading to shutting out a few other teams.
“She has been able to move the ball in, out, up and down,” Pigg said. “She’s controlled the zone well.”
Morgan’s two losses have come against undefeated teams such as Eastside and Buford, both bigger schools. The Lady Dogs were competitive in each contest, losing 5-4 and 6-0, respectively, earlier this year.
They’ve also defeated non-region teams like Monroe Area, North Hall, and Prince Avenue Christian, the Class A Division I defending state champ. Their schedule hasn’t been easy up to this point.
Pigg’s squad has burned through region play with wins over Westside, a sweep of Rutland, and Jackson. Next week, they’ll face Pike County, the team they’re battling against for the conference title.
“Right now, it looks that way. Everybody has beaten up on each other between Westside, Callaway, and Rutland,” Pigg said. “So, it might come down between us and Pike County if things shake out how we feel like they will. We still have to play well [down the stretch] if we want to win the region.”
Pigg has high hopes for his players and wants them to finish strong. The team’s goal is to make it back to the Elite Eight in Columbus, but first, secure a region championship and lock up a No. 1 seed.
“Anytime that you can make it to [Columbus], that’s a great accomplishment,” Pigg said. “It’s definitely not something to be taken lightly. That would mean a lot to our girls and our program. Just being able to get there and make noise would be the goal. It would cement what we’re trying to do.”