Seasoned sophomore Massey improves for Lady Wolverines

It might be hard to imagine a sophomore in high school being a seasoned player, but East Webster softball pitcher Lizz Massey is as seasoned as a 10th grader could be.

The Lady Wolverines had to have Massey thrown into the fire at the game's most important position back when she was in seventh grade and she's improved every year. She now has 229.2 innings under her belt over that time and put together a strong 2.16 earned run average with her best days ahead of her.

Her best days to this point in her career are here. The games have been scarce with rain taking over on a daily basis inside the state, but Massey got three dominant ones in last week. After striking out 76 batters in 94.1 inning last year, she's starting off her sophomore year looking much more overpowering in the circle and sent 25 batters in 14 innings packing with a strikeout in the first three games of the year.

Confidence was the main thing that Massey appeared to have more than ever to begin the season.

“She's a three-year starter and only a 10th grader,” East Webster head coach Lee Berryhill said. “The first two years she started we made it to the playoffs and she's got games under her belts. She's growing still and will only get better and better.”

In three victories, Massey pitched just 14 innings, gave up seven hits, one unearned run, walked eight batters and struck out 25. For her work on the diamond, she is this week's OCH Regional Medical Center Athlete of the Week.

The first two wins were blowouts and she helped hold the opposing teams down, while the offense produced. In the season opener against Winona, the Lady Wolverines won the game in just three innings 17-0. Massey gave up just one hit, walked a batter and struck out six. Against area rival Choctaw County, the team won big again 18-1. She threw four innings in that game with one hit, one run that was unearned, two walks and seven strikeouts.

Massey finished out the week last Friday by striking out a career-high tying 12 batters in a 5-0 win over Houlka. She threw a complete seven innings, surrendered five hits and zero runs. The difference in this game is that Massey was pressured with runners on the base and in a closer game because the offense didn't produce as Berryhill would hope.

On two separate occasions, Houlka had runners in scoring position with less than two outs and Massey got them out of a jam.

“Everything was just kind of flat,” Berryhill said. “It was cold, not a lot of energy and nothing was getting done. A lot of it is the cold weather and we just didn't want to swing it. Give Lizz credit. She did a good job and when she had to, she got it done with a little bit of help.”