Big year for local softball players
Published 11:18 am Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Staff Reports
TIFTON — The Abraham Baldwin Fillies will be playing in the team’s third consecutive national softball tournament May 16-18 in Kissimmee, Fla.
Two local players have been factors in the success of the Fillies this season.
Freshman Christy Taylor from Berrien High in Nashville, playing her first season ever of fast-pitch softball, has been the starting left fielder for most of the year.
Sophomore Latoya Office from Turner County High in Ashburn has been a reserve outfielder and pinch runner for the team. When the Fillies won the softball title, it gave Office two state championships on the year as she also played on the Fillie basketball team that won the conference championship.
While those two players still have games left on the year, the season is over for several teams that featured players with local connections.
Former Tift County Lady Devil and ABAC Fillie Becky Greene posted big numbers for Lander University.
She led the team in batting with a .441 average. In the 57 games she started, she scored 40 runs, hit 20 doubles and 11 home runs, knocked in 41 runs and had an on-base percentage of .490. Greene’s slugging percentage was an impressive .790.
Former Irwin County Lady Indian Latoya Moffett led the Columbus State Lady Cougars in hitting on the year.
Playing her first year of fast-pitch softball, Moffett started 43 games for the Lady Cougars (26-18 record on the year). She batted .358 with 26 runs scored, five RBIs, a .417 on-base percentage and six stolen bases in six attempts.
Laura McGirr, who was on last year’s state title team for ABAC, started all 44 games for Columbus State. She batted .217, with 21 runs scored, two doubles, 10 RBIs and a .261 on-base percentage.
In 47 games for the Georgia Southwestern Lady Hurricanes, Christie Ward hit .311.
Ward, another former ABAC Fillie, also had 18 runs scored, five doubles, 21 RBIs, a .344 slugging percentage and a .358 on-base percentage.
Kristin Hughes, who also was a part of last year’s state title team for ABAC, hit .343 for the Georgia College and State Lady Bobcats.
A starter in each of the team’s 52 games, Hughes had 38 runs scored, seven doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 42 RBIs, a .599 slugging percentage and a .396 on-base percentage.
