Rabbs softball shows big improvement in 1 year
ATLANTA, Texas — Atlanta has the 1-2 punch of a tough pitcher and top-notch hitter that’s helped the Lady Rabbs turn around the girls softball program in one season.
Atlanta posted a 7-15 record a year ago, and the Rabbs missed the playoffs.
This year, under the guidance of first-year coach Brian Cave, Atlanta is 23-8 and entering the Class 3A state playoffs as the third-place team from District 14-3A.
The Rabbs will tangle with Mount Vernon (13-7-1, 8-2 second place in District 13-3A) in a best-of-three bi-district series. Game 1 is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Mount Vernon; Game 2 at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Atlanta; and if a Game 3 is necessary, it will be played at 2 p.m. Saturday in Mount Vernon.
“It’s basically a homeand-home series,” Cave said. “Both fields have turf, so it should be an interesting series.”
Atlanta’s 1-2 punch consists of pitcher Gabby Arredondo and shortstop Victoria Clayton. Arredondo is a freshman and Clayton is a senior.
“Those two girls have done it all for us,” said coach Cave. “We’ve really improved a lot in one year, and I believe the 23 wins may be the most wins ever by an Atlanta girls softball team.”
An outstanding pitcher can dominate softball games at all levels, but especially high schools.
Arredondo, a right-hander, has certainly done her job this season. She’s fashioned a 17-2 record (.895 winning percentage), with a 2.61 earned run average. And she’s already struck out more than 100 batters — whiffing 117 in 145 innings this year.
“Gabby’s ‘out’ pitch hasn’t really been her fastball, it’s been her breaking pitch that drops down and produces a lot of groundball outs,” Cave said. “She throws it about 85 percent of the time.”
Arredondo also throws a changeup, curveball and riser.
“She’s had really good placement on her pitches this season,” Cave added.
And the pitching ace is batting .350, so she’s usually in the lineup somewhere.
“We use her as the DP (designated player) in several games,” Cave said. “We want her bat in the lineup because she can hit.”
And speaking of hitting, look no further than Clayton, who is committed to play college softball for Division I Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
“She’s a totally unselfish hitter, and she’s a pure hitter,” her coach said. “I believe she’s hitting .607 for the season and she’s only struck out four times this year. She hits the ball hard and when she does, it’s going somewhere fast, a lot of time on line drives.”
Those two are not the only standout players on the Rabbs team.
Carlajah Adger, a junior, is another key contributor. Adger is hitting .462 and is a defensive star at third base.
“I believe she’s the most aggressive third baseman I’ve ever seen,” Cave said. “She handles the hot corner very well.”
Atlanta is hoping for some continuity in the next few seasons.
“I talked to one girl here at Atlanta and she told me she’s had three different coaches in three years,” Cave said. “That’s not good for building stability in a program. I’m hoping to establish a winning program and building on it every season. The players will know what to expect from the coaches and the coaches will know what to expect from the players.”
Atlanta last reached the playoffs in 2022, after finishing fourth in district. The Rabbs then lost to Mount Vernon in bi-district, the same team that they are facing in the playoffs this year.
In 2021, Atlanta went 22-4-1 and won the district title with a 12-0 record. They reached the area round before losing to White Oak, two games to none.
Cave had plenty of state tournament experience when he played for Linden-kildare in the middle 1980s.
The Tigers reached the state tournament in 1984, but lost in the semifinals to eventual state champion Odem, 6-4, after a controversial umpire ruling resulted in the ejection of L-K’S starting pitcher in the first inning.
In 1985, L-K advanced to the state final, losing to Sweeny, 6-3, in the title game. Cave made the all-tournament team at shortstop with four other L-K teammates, including catcher Scott Surratt, third baseman Matthew Fitts, center fielder Ricky Epps and left fielder Marty Pate.
Surratt has since won nine state football championships at Carthage. Those Linden-kildare teams were coached by Bill Norwood and his assistant Jim Grubbs, who have since passed away. The Tigers’ baseball field is named in Grubbs’ honor.
“It was a fantastic experience playing in back-to-back state tournaments,” Cave said. “That’s something I’ll never forget.”