WCS started season with 6 straight wins
By LINDA ANN McDONALD
Correspondent
Wakulla Christian Girls Softball season began with an explosive start with 6 consecutive wins which included 2 shutouts and an at least 10 points spread in each game until losing to Cottondale on March 14.
Head Coach Trina Baker said, “To be the leader of this team is a huge blessing, a lot of times these girls minister to me as much as I do to them; we give God the glory whether we win or lose.”
“Coaching these girls is not a job to me, it is my ministry, it is what I love to do.”
“This is my 4th year coaching,” Baker said. “I was the previous coach at North Florida Christian in Tallahassee. I was working so work took me away from coaching and I saw the opportunity at Wakulla Christian, so I started my ministry.”
Baker’s husband Wayne Baker is the Assistant Coach and the Pastor of First Baptist at Wakulla Station.
D. Morris is the Assistant Coach of the girls’ softball team.
Coach Trina Baker has played ball since she was 5 years old; she was coaching at North Florida Christian School her freshman year of college, Baker graduated Tallahassee Community College with a degree in Radiology Technology. Her father was her Pitching Coach and a as a student.
“I had the opportunity to play against Florida A&M University while I was a student at North Florida, I thought that was a great opportunity for experience.”
The team is comprised of 8 Seniors, 6 on Varsity and 2 on Junior Varsity.
“These 8 Seniors have been with me since day one and everything we have taught and instilled, we are breathing it to life: it’s all coming together this year. Their leadership is exceptional along with their attitudes and resilience,” she said.
Senior Madison Chester has a batting average of .548 and 19 RBIs, Avery Baker has 17 Runs with Madison Chester right behind her with 16 runs, and other star players include Mateah McClendon, Logan Kennon, Sadie Donaway and Annsley Baker.
“Two of the seniors I am losing this year are my own daughters,” she said. “This reality is hard for me but I am excited for their next chapter. In addition to my seniors, my younger crew is amazing too, and they contribute a significant amount to our team’s overall success and happy, fun-loving morale.”
“I want to thank the parents and say how amazing they are, I’m telling you, these parents have worked hard to help me make this program a success, best group of parents on the planet and I couldn’t have done it without them to include my own mom and dad.”
“We practice healthy competition, the team works together to celebrate successes and they even celebrate the opposing teams’ victories; I have seen the girls watching the competitors struggling at the plate, and they stay positive and upbeat, they just love they game,” said Baker. “I leave all practices open to parents so they can see the progress and we are just here to encourage each other.
“We are big on no cliques, no groups, we connect the girls with someone they are not necessarily “best friends” with, we mix it up.”
“The one thing we talk about when we go to other places is to leave it better than you found it, not just cleaning up the dugout, we leave people with an uplifting feeling.”
“The future of this team is the best team in Wakulla Christian School’s softball history, making it to state is our goal.
There will be future fundraising events for the team. “We have a huge outpour of support from our local community and both Crawfordville and Tallahassee businesses, and I want to thank everyone for all the support and good luck.
“We want to win games but bigger than winning games is the winning of souls and the goal is to secure that, that is what is important to us.”
“The support from the Administration at Wakulla Christian has been very valuable and they are just awesome,” Baker said.
War Eagles sweep opponents, improve to 11-2-1
By KEITH ANDERSON
Baseball Coach
The Wakulla War Eagles varsity baseball team had a big week this past week with a 3 game sweep of their opponents on the diamond to improve their record to 11-2-1.
They began the week traveling to a tough Thomasville High team on Tuesday, March 26, defeating them 13-3.
Senior starter Leaston Spears had another strong start only allowing 2 hits and striking out 5 over 4 innings of work to receive the win. Senior Jesse Nazworth threw a shutout inning to end the game in the fifth.
Josiah Pierini led the offense with 3 RBIs, going 2-4 with a double. Owen Klees and Michael Hurley each added a double. Sam Bruce and Parker Lawhon each had two hits and two RBI’s each. Brady Crum also had a hit and an RBI.
The game ended with a bases loaded two-out spectacular catch by center fielder Parker Lawhon who jumped up and made a leaping grab as he hit the wall.
The War Eagles then traveled to district foe Godby on Thursday, March 28th, defeating them 12-1.
Junior Ryan Newberry got his first start on the mound this season and made the most of it. He gave up 4 hits and one unearned run over five innings striking out two and walking none.
Submariner Hayden Wright threw one shutout inning in relief striking out 1.
The War Eagles started slow, but racked up 14 hits on the evening. Parker Lawhon, Sam Bruce, Michael Hurley, Josiah Pierini, and Owen Klees all had multiple hits. Will Chipman and Brady Crum each added a single. Haden Klees had a solo homerun to centerfield.
On Friday, March 29th, the War Eagles hosted Florida High with the War Eagles walking it off in the bottom of the 8th. Florida High had a strong showing at the plate, but it was not enough in the end.
Gavin Estep started on the mound for the War Eagles battling for 3 1/3 innings giving up 6 hits and 3 runs. Jesse Nazworth came on in relief to work out of a high leverage situation in the third to limit the damage. He threw 2.2 innings giving up 5 hits and 3 runs. Will Chipman came to the mound in the 7th down 6-4 to throw two shutout innings giving up two hits and 2 runs and received the win.
The War Eagles managed 6 hits. Parker Lawhon, Brady Crum, Josiah Pierini, Sam Bruce, Gavin Gautreau, and Garrett Veltkamp all had a hit a piece.
The excitement started in the bottom of the 7th with two outs. Josiah Pierini hit a clutch 2 run homerun to deep centerfield to tie the game up to go to extra innings.
Florida High quickly went to work in the top of the 8th with a leadoff single, then bunting him over to second. Will Chipman then induced a harmless infield popup for the second out. The next hit a sharp single to left field. Left fielder Sam Bruce picked it up cleanly throwing a perfect one hop strike to Brady Crum at the plate for the third out.
In the bottom of the eighth with the score tied, the patient War Eagle hitters produced two walks and a hit by pitch to load the bases with one out.
Baserunner Jed Hoffman then slid in and safely scored the winning run on wild pitch to end the game.
