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NTL SOFTBALL: WILLIAMSON LADY WARRIORS FIND POSITIVES IN REBUILDING SEASON (2022-06-09)

Northern Tier West Sports Report
TIOGA JUNCTION — While the Williamson softball team fell shy of some team goals and suffered some lopsided defeats during the season, the Lady Warriors won more games than they did a season ago, and did so with arguably the least varsity playing experience in the league.

None of this was lost on Head Coach Todd Colegrove, who saw the season as a great opportunity for his younger players to gain valuable experience.

“We had three seniors, all of which hadn’t played in several years, or at all”, Colegrove says. “So we depended on a lot of the younger girls, and we just need to learn to find positives in the losses and build going forward.”

The Lady Warriors finished 6-14 overall, and despite several mercy-rule defeats, Williamson was able to score runs against some of the league’s top pitchers .. averaging five and a half runs per game.

“I do feel that we were a hit here or there from getting a few more wins”, Colegrove expressed, “but again, we were a young team .. we got some innings for our younger players and put them in position to be better in the years to come.”

A player at the center of Colegrove’s rebuilding process is Mikenna Buchanan. The sophomore followed up a breakout freshman season, where she was tagged as the 2021 All-Tioga County Newcomer of the Year, with an outstanding second campaign. 

Buchanan put up gaudy numbers at the plate, and in addition to hitting for the cycle and striking out only three times all season, hit .560 with a .641 on-base-percentage. Among her 28 hits were eight doubles, two triples and a home run .. resulting in a slugging percentage of .860. As Williamson’s ace, Buchanan recorded 112 strikeouts.

Another bright spot for the Warriors this season was the versatility and effectiveness of juniors Gracie Stephens and Peyton Blend, both at the plate and in the field. Colegrove was able to play Stephens all over the field, and as the Warriors’ leadoff hitter, she batted .393, got on base at a .478 clip and drew 10 walks while only striking out three times. Blend also occupied various spots before settling into a corner outfield position. She had 21 hits on the season with five doubles and batted .396, with an OBP of .436.

Colegrove points to a pair of young players who will be relied on more heavily next season, after showing promise this year. Outfielder Bailee Smith, a sophomore, hit .344 with 11 base hits and had a .417 OBP in somewhat-limited action due to injuries, while freshman Cassidy Andreason had 13 hits, with three doubles, a .310 batting average and a .431 OBP.

Despite his three seniors not having varsity softball experience, Coach Colegrove was more than happy to have them.

“Both Kaylee (Sargent) and Riley (Sargent) brought senior leadership to the team, which we desperately needed”, Colegrove says. “They hadn’t played in a couple of years, but their drive to do well certainly had an impact on the younger girls”.

Both Kaylee (10 H, 14 BB, .238 BA, .450 OBP) and Riley (7 H, .200 BA, .357 OBP) played multiple positions for the Lady Warriors, giving Colegrove the flexibility to move younger players around to find a solid defensive lineup moving forward.

Of his remaining senior, Sharley Brown, Colegrove says, “This was her first time ever playing softball so her time on the field was limited .. but her attitude was unmatched and we were all lucky and better off for her being on our team, for sure”.

SEASON PHOTOS: Lance Larcom


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