Dillon softball program continues to build

DILLON -- Prior to last season, not too many people in Dillon could have recalled the last time the Wildcats softball team made a postseason appearance.
In fact, not even a former player could remember — and she might have been the starting pitcher for that game.
“We knew there was a playoff game once, and I think I pitched that game,” Dillon coach Shirl Carter said smiling. “But that was long time ago. We know it was in the early (19)80s, sometime between ’82 and ’84.”
But no one in Wildcat country should have trouble remembering now.
The Wildcats’ turned things around with a 13-7 campaign in 2007 and earned their firt postseason berth in more than two decades.
“It was very exciting for us,” sophomore pitcher Lauren Bailey said. “There’s a lot of us who have been on this team for four years or more and we worked so hard to get ourselves into the playoffs.
“For us, it was like giving Dillon softball a new name, and we felt (a sense of accomplishment) for that.”
Now the Wildcats are poised to make even more history. With an 8-2 record in Region 7-2A, Dillon holds the second spot in the standings, and will make the playoffs for the second straight year.
“It’s amazing the difference a few years make,” junior pitcher Megan Lee said. “This is my fifth year, and we went from losing a bunch of games when I started to being really excited last year that we were getting the chance to play beyond the regular season.
“Now I think we all want to take that next step and go even farther (in the playoffs).”

Building blocks
Four years ago, Carter jumped at the chance to not only return to teach at her alma mater, but also to coach the team she once played for.
While the program had been struggling for a few years, Carter said the seeds for a turnaround were planted years before she got there.
“The recreation program and the travel ball teams really began showing good turnouts a few years before I got here,” Carter said. “Interest in the sport was growing in the county and I just reaped some of the benefits.”
Lee and Bailey are among the handful of Wildcats who came through the recreation and travel ball systems.
“That’s where most of us (were taught) our basic fundamental softball skills, and it’s where most of us met each other for the first time,” Lee said. “I think that’s how we’ve gotten to this point. We’ve played together for so long, we really do play as a team.”
Carter, a self-proclaimed fundamentalist, has also spent a lot of time reinforcing the basics to her team.
“You hit, you throw and you catch,” Carter said. “That never changes. We spent a lot of time working on the basics, and I know a lot the girls were probably not happy with some of the drills, but over time, they’ve seen how much they’ve improved and realize why we did those things.”

Steady improvement
In each of her four seasons, Carter says Dillon’s fielding percentage and batting average have steadily climbed, reaching an all-time high this season.
The Wildcats have already notched at least 30 more hits than they did all of last season Carter said, raising the team batting average to .324 and its slugging percentage to .454.
Dillon’s fielding percentage has also increased to .900.
“I think working hard at practice has been the biggest difference,” Bailey said. “We’ve done a ton of drills and have spent a lot of hours working on hitting and fielding.
“I think you can really see that this season.”

Role players
Unlike some softball teams, the Wildcats boast no real star player in terms of stats, but rather a team full of role players.
Lee and Bailey are the two main pitchers, but they take up roles in the infield when not on the mound.
“That’s been one of those things we’ve had to work on as we’ve gone along,” Carter said. “It’s difficult for them sometimes because they can’t focus all of their attention on just pitching or playing a position.”
But it does have its adavantages, Bailey said.
“It helps sometimes because I go from being a catcher to a pitcher, and it makes it a little easier to know what to throw to a certain batter, or what kind of pitch to call.”
Dillon has seven players batting .280 or better, and getting contributions from everyone will be key to the Wildcats’ success, Carter said.
“We’ve improved each season, and hopefully, we’ll continue to improve each game,” Carter said. “As a coach, that’s all you can ask for.”