Pettigrew officially signs with Shorter
One of the top fastpitch softball pitchers to ever come through the program at Lafayette High School is ready to test herself at the next level.
Senior Madison Pettigrew will trade in the orange and black for the blue and white of Shorter University in nearby Rome starting next year after signing her letter of intent with the Hawks in a ceremony at the high school on this past Wednesday.
“I’m feeling blessed. All of the glory to God,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons I picked Shorter. It’s going to further my academic and athletic career and it’s also going to help me get closer to God.”
Pettigrew has been a fixture in the Lady Ramblers’ lineup for her entire fouryear prep career.
As a freshman, she hit .356 with five doubles and 21 RBIS, while also winning six games as a pitcher with two saves, 37 strikeouts and a 2.32 ERA in 99-plus innings pitched. She followed up as a sophomore by sharing Region 6-AAAA Co-pitcher of the Year honors.
She was once again named to the All-region first team as a junior after going 6-4 in the circle with a 2.64 ERA and one save in 77 innings of work, finishing with 64 strikeouts. She also hit .301 with seven doubles, three homers and 22 RBIS.
As a senior this past season, she was again selected as a first team pick as she helped the Lady Ramblers to a second straight appearance in the Class 4A Elite Eight in Columbus, a feat that had never been previously accomplished in the history of the program.
She ended the year with a 7-4 record in the circle and a 3.53 ERA in 59.1 innings with 65 strikeouts. At the plate, she was among the team leaders in batting average (.392), doubles (8), homeruns (4), RBI (24) and slugging percentage (.662).
Included in her final season was a five-inning nohitter against Ridgeland that also saw her drive in three runs. She would miss nearly a month after injuring an ankle in mid-september, but made a dramatic return to the lineup in the state playoff opener against Stephens County by belting a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to spark her team to the win.
Pettigrew would continue to be a solid hitter for the rest of the postseason and she would eventually regain her form in the circle as she came up with several big appearances for Lafayette down the stretch. Most notably was