Although they might have fallen short of a repeat trip to the Class 5A state tournament, the Durant Lady Lion softball team was not without postseason accolades with four players named to the 5A-3 All District squad.
Seniors Addi Pratt, Raelynn Clark and Lylith Harris were chosen to the prestigious team by league coaches. Pratt was a utility choice while Clark was an outfield selection with Harris at catcher.
Also named to the All District squad was freshman stalwart Emma Sherrer, who led the team in the pitching circle while also having a solid season at the plate.
Clark contributed a .325 hitting clip for the year while also playing a solid center field. She powered team highs with nine doubles, two triples and four home runs as well as adding a team-best 18 RBI and 29 runs scored. She stole five bases.
Pratt tallied a .308 batting average, connecting for five doubles and two home runs while driving in nine runs and scoring 13 times. She also led the club with nine times hit by pitches and nine sacrifice bunts.
Harris, meanwhile, was a mainstay for the fourth straight year behind the plate for the Lady Lions with a .924 fielding percentage. She hit .222 with six doubles, one triple and two home runs in addition to finishing second on the club with 16 runs batted in.
“Clark was a fantastic outfielder for us and was great defensively,” said head coach Jimmie Wyrick. “She was able to track down a lot of balls most couldn’t and had a tremendous arm. She also developed into a great hitter that led the way for us at the plate.
“Pratt got better and better at the plate as the year went along. She also helped us out in the pitching circle. She was a multi-year starter for us and just a great kid.
“Harris is a leader by example on the field for us and just a tremendous teammate despite being soft-spoken. She was outstanding defensively for us.”
Despite being just a freshman, Sherrer worked a team-high 99 1/3 innings in the pitching circle, finishing with a tough-luck 7-11 record and one save with three shutouts to her credit. She struck out 59 and wrapped up the year with a 4.36 earned run average.
At the plate, Sherrer tossed in a .316 average that included three doubles, one triple, one homer and 11 runs driven in.
“Emma made a much-needed impact for us,” Wyrick added. “We are really looking forward to the next three years with her in the circle because she is only going to get better. I’m really proud of the player she turned into as the season progressed. She matured extremely fast in the pitching circle.
“I am very proud of all four of the girls that were recognized. We had a tough year with a lot of adversity, but the girls battled and played hard until the end.”