South’s Holliday and Johnsonville’s Poston earn Morning News top softball honors

With the level of talent South Florence softball has had in recent years, Jasmyn Holliday had to wait her turn.
In her junior year, she finally broke into the starting lineup.
In her senior year, she broke through as one of the best players in the area and the state.
Holliday posted a .479 average with five homers, 24 RBI and 19 stolen bases this season for the Class 4A lower state champions en route to earning Morning News Player of the Year honors.
While Holliday added to a rich history at South Florence, Ryan Poston and his Johnsonville team made history.
The Flashes went 22-9, captured the Region 8-A title and earned the school’s first softball lower state championship.
For his efforts, Poston has been named the Morning News Coach of the Year.
Holliday put in her time her ninth and 10th grade years on the junior squad before getting the call up to varsity.
“It was just one of things where I had to work hard and I had to prove myself,” Holliday said. “I had to prove that I wasn’t wasting anybody’s time and that I could play center field.”
Holliday performed well her junior year, batting .368 with 20 RBI. But it took a while for her to get comfortable in her role, she said.
“Last year, I was still competing for my spot and trying to do everything I could to stay in the lineup,” said Holliday, who has signed to play at Spartanburg Methodist next season. “But I came in this year more relaxed and really knowing what I had to do to be a leader.”
Holliday was equally impressive on defense.
“I know she had seven or eight assists from the outfield,” South Florence coach Bobby Jones said. “And that was to every base, including first. She has great athletic ability and has worked hard to get where she’s at.”
For Poston and the Flashes, this season was the culmination of five years of work.
Slowly but surely, Johnsonville climbed up the region standings during the last three years, going from third to second and then first.
“I think it always helps when the kids can see that progress is being made,” Poston said. “There’s a lot of good coaches who never see that kind of jump from one year to the next.”
In 2008, Johnsonville’s wins over Lake View and Latta gave the Flashes their first sign of good things to come. They repeated their performance this year and beat perennial power East Clarendon team twice on the way to the Class A lower state title.
“I think those wins were big last year,” Poston said. “It showed the girls what they could accomplish and I think they entered this season expecting to win.
“We didn’t reach out ultimate goal of a championship, but I think the team has a lot of good years ahead of it.”
When he arrived at Johnsonville, Poston focused more on fundamentals and taking care of the little things that help you win ballgames. This year, he turned his attention to helping build team chemistry.
“This is a close group, and I really thought that was the last piece of the puzzle,” Poston said. “These girls do everything together, and they rely on each and pull for each during games and outside of softball as well.”

All-Pee Dee Softball Team

P Sloan Welsh (East Clarendon) — 15-5, 0.75 ERA, 122 IP, 155 K, 22 BB, .409 average, 14 RBI
P Rachel Gaster (Johnsonville) — 15-5, 0.68 ERA, 123 IP, 125 K, 15 BB, .425 average, 30 RBI, 2 HR, .828 slugging percentage
C Taylor Bennett (Johnsonville) — .423 average, 24 RBI, 3 3Bs, .720 slugging percentage
1B Taylor Prosser (Johnsonville) — .439 average, 28 RBI, 3 HR, .659 slugging percentage
2B Amber Suggs (Lake View) —  .407 average, 27 RBI, .522 on-base percentage, 16-3, 1.75 ERA, 145 K, 120 IP
3B Kelsey Pruitt (South Florence) —  .409 average, 37 RBI, 2 HR, .580 on-base percentage
SS Abby Yarborough (South Florence) — .425 average, 29 RBI, 4 HR, 11 stolen bases, .574 on-base percentage
OF Jasmyn Holliday (South Florence) — .479 average, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 19 stolen bases, .607 on-base percentage
OF Kristan McElveen (East Clarendon) — .391 average, 18 RBI, 5 3Bs, 1.00 fielding percentage
OF Kentesha Jenkins (Darlington) — .394 average, 12 RBI, 2 HR, 3 3Bs