

Moments file picture
Waterford’s Cara Taylor will take a pitch all through a superior college softball sport versus Fort Frye. Taylor was named first group All-Ohio.

WATERFORD — Cara Taylor set up some insane quantities on the softball diamond this spring.
The Waterford junior established 3 university single-year data — batting regular (.660), runs-batted-in (58) and stolen bases (29) — and led the Wildcats to 20 wins for just the fourth crew in college history. For her endeavours, Taylor was named to start with crew All-Ohio. Her teammate, Riley Schweikert, was an honorable point out decide, whilst Belpre’s Kaitlen Bush was chosen to the next workforce.
Taylor batted 3rd and performed middle industry for Waterford this period. She went 62 for 94 at the plate, clubbing seven house runs, 10 triples and six doubles. She experienced a .980 fielding share, committing just one particular error all 12 months.
“That’s a massive accomplishment,” mentioned Waterford head coach Doug Baldwin. “She was a very integral part of our crew achievement. She had a hit in all of our game titles apart from for one particular, and the a single she did not, she experienced two stolen bases and four RBIs. Offensively, she was regular just about every working day.”
The remaining-handed swinging Taylor uses her blazing pace to her gain, offensively and defensively. Any ball she hits in the infield has a prospect to be a hit, and nearly anything to the outfield could be additional bases. In the discipline, her variety enables her to stop extra-foundation hits, and she also has a cannon for a still left arm.
For all the eye-popping figures, though, just one that stands out is her strikeout total — zero.
“She has a incredibly excellent eye at the plate,” Baldwin reported. “She’s struck out one particular time in her large school career, and that was the past activity of her freshman yr in the district finals in opposition to an All-Ohio pitcher.”
And even although her speed is one particular of her most effective attributes, she’s bought lots of pop in her bat.
“I imagine 5 or 6 of her home operates were out of the park,” Baldwin said. “She does hit for a tiny bit of ability. This year we moved her to the three-gap in the get following main off as a freshman. She can hit anywhere in the lineup.”
Schweikert set the school’s solitary-time report for residence operates with eight. A senior, Schweikert hit .476 with 44 RBIs and 16 doubles. She built just 5 problems at very first foundation in 214 odds for a .977 fielding proportion.
“She’s a 4-yr starter and she’s been sound for us at initially,” Baldwin stated. “She’s a wonderful child and a lot of entertaining to coach. She strike in our 5 spot, and I felt pretty assured when she was at the plate. She always experienced the likely to strike it our of the park. She had a pair complete bombs this calendar year that would’ve went out at any softball subject we played. There were being a pair she strike that were unbelievable.”
Waterford created it to the district semifinals and concluded 20-8. They received the Tri-Valley Convention Hocking Division for the 1st time in 13 several years.
Bush, a sophomore for the Golden Eagles, was a file-setter in her own correct. She established a new Belpre mark in home operates with 8 to go alongside with a .598 batting common (49 for 82), 39 RBIs, 16 doubles and 15 stolen bases. She struck out just twice all time.
“Kaitlen is a participant exactly where, if she was possessing a very good activity, it bled to the relaxation of the staff,” said Belpre head mentor Stephanie Evans. “The crew fed off her vitality. When she was on, it was contagious. She’s just an outstanding all-about participant and as humble as can be.”
Belpre completed the year 14-13 and highly developed to the district semifinals. Bush, who at just one level had a strike in 12 straight at-bats, was a big component of the team’s good results.
“She reminds me a whole lot of Katie Osburn from a couple of years back,” Evans mentioned. Osburn was a two-time initial staff All-Ohioan as a sophomore and junior and a 2nd teamer as a senior in 2018.
“(Kaitlen’s) eye is 2nd to none,” Evans ongoing. “She’s a smart hitter. She would know, ‘If which is not my pitch, then I’m fouling it off and waiting for some thing I like.’ Just a good participant.”
Jordan Holland can be achieved at [email protected].








