Lady Tigers push through changes
The Darlington softball team faces adversity this season, and then they have a coaching change.
The Darlington softball team faces adversity and a coaching change.
The dust from the infield dirt was still hanging in the air as Darlington coach Matt Larry talked to his team following a loss to Bowdon.
It was a rare Friday afternoon softball game, and his players had come up short, but it wasn’t from lack of effort. The effort is something that has been there since the beginning of the season.
Other things, however, are different.
“We’re very young. We have no seniors,” Larry said. “But they’re learning a lot each day. And we’re getting better each day, too.”
Darlington is 8-15 this season and 2-8 against teams in Region 6-A/A, which includes perennial powers like Gordon Lee and Trion.
The Lady Tigers 5-3 loss on Friday to the visiting Red Devils had its positives, including Gabby Fuller’s two-RBI day, and Ellie Gillis and Sydney Seymour’s three hits apiece.
“We’re playing tough teams, so we’re still up in the power rankings,” Larry said. “But when you do that, you can’t make mistakes, and errors have been our Achilles’ heel. But the girls never stop fighting.”
Circumstances led to Larry taking over as Darlington’s official head coach following the departure of Jessie Weaver, who had held the position since 2014.
Larry, the head baseball coach, was in his second season of serving as an assistant on the team when the change was made near the end of August. He wouldn’t elaborate on the reasons why.
In the interim, Larry has called on the experience of longtime Darlington coach Gus Bell to take a break from retirement and assist with the team.
“He’s been a huge help, and obviously he’s a legend around here,” Larry said of Bell, who coached Darlington’s baseball and softball teams for several years.
“I wanted to get him back here and it’s been a pleasure. Every day you learn something with him, both on the field and off the field.”
Darlington heads into the final week of the regular season with hope. The Lady Tigers will host Christian Heritage on Monday before traveling to Cartersville on Wednesday and hosting Excel Christian on Thursday.
The team is ranked 11th in the current GHSA Class A Power Ratings and will look to improve that as they move through these last three games and the Region 6-A tournament next week at Trion.
“The girls haven’t quit all year, with all of the adversity that has been thrown at them,” Larry said. “They’ve kept at it. I’m proud of them.”