Julie McCombs
Baleigh Coker, catcher for Greer High School softball, leads the team in hitting.
Jim Fair
Hitting technique was part of the workouts heading into Friday's game vs. West-Oak at Greer.
Jim Fair
Greer coach Ashleigh Anderson, right, instructed her players during bunting practice.
“Our motto this year has been ‘one goal,’” said coach Ashleigh Anderson. “Number one, we wanted to be a .500 team which we were. Then we wanted to win the region championship.” Greer did that by beating rival Blue Ridge 3-2 in the final regular season game to finish 12-2.
The next goal, which took care of itself, was to be in the playoffs and now comes a series of benchmarks with every game Greer wins beginning today.
Greer hosts West-Oak in Game 1 of the District I playoffs at 6 p.m. Admission is $5. River Bluff plays Woodruff with winners and losers pairing off Monday in Game 2.
Greer finished the regular season 14-2.
When winning the Region II-AAA became realistic Anderson said only the season finale versus Blue Ridge tested her nerves. “After we beat them I could breathe, I wanted the region title for the girls so bad. I was so nervous during the day.”
Samantha Bagley will pitch for Greer and Baleigh Coker, the team’s leading hitter with a .500 average, will catch. Bagley is Greer’s only senior with all other players underclassmen. Coker is among four juniors. There are three sophomores and the rest are freshmen. “We also have a talented group of middle school players coming up next year,” Anderson said.
Bagley pitched the complete game region clinching victory over Blue Ridge and recorded two hits and a sacrifice fly to bring in all three runs.
Anderson describes this year’s team as overachievers. “They are a very talented team and hard working,” Anderson said. “They are a great group of players and leaders.”
Anderson considers her lineup solid with “all power hitters who can hit the ball well.” Coker, a self-described line-drive hitter has two home runs.
Coker opted to run track last spring and is playing her first season on the softball team. She has played on a traveling squad and took pleasure in beating former teammates with Blue Ridge twice this year.
“When we beat (Blue Ridge) the first time up there I thought we could have a good team,” Coker said.
Coker said the team’s hitting has been key. “Most of our wins have come from our hitting. Mental errors let teams back in the game.”
Coker has bought into Anderson’s one-goal philosophy. “Every game we win is one closer to the state championship. That is my goal.”