BLACKSVILLE — Butch Varner had every reason to believe his Clay-Battelle softball coach had a chance to be good. They had advanced to the 2018 regional finals before losing to eventual state runner-up Moorefield.
The Cee-Bees (20-1) are flying high with a gaudy record. Weather permitting, C-B will play today or Saturday for the OVAC championship, then begin the sectional tournament Monday.
“I told the girls that we lost two strong seniors, and that each team has to create its own personality, its own chemistry,” Varner said. “And you can’t force it, it has to be organic.”
Fastpitch softball revolves around the arm in the circle, and C-B senior pitcher Caitlyn Kassay is one of the best in the state. The offense, led by top-of-the-order catalysts Rylee Burnette and Madison Statler and power threats Kassay and Sydney Wilson, has remained consistently potent.
With Kassay’s dominance well-known in Class A, teams are usually prepared to rely on small-ball tactics to jump start their offense.
That means bunts, a lot of bunts. And there’s no position on the diamond more important — and more vulnerable — in bunt coverage than third base, which is why Varner is happy to have Alicia Keener at the hot corner.
“I think she’s the best third baseman in the state,” Varner said. “I’m telling you, I don’t think I could do what she does, playing as close as five feet from the plate, not knowing if the batter might swing away. She’s absolutely fearless and she’s just so solid.”
Keener wasn’t keen on playing third at first, but she learned quickly.
“I didn’t realize how much responsibility went with playing the position until Coach Varner put me there last year,” she said. “It was tough at first, but bunt coverage now is just part of my job, and I know I can trust everybody in the infield to do their job. It makes things more routine, and that trust and connection we have with each other makes everything easier.”
Another vital but often overlooked part of softball is centered around the team’s energy, as anyone who’s heard the rally chants at a contested high school softball game can attest. For the Cee-Bees, the power of positive thinking is a powerful force, and senior Shania Henderson is Varner’s secret weapon.
“Shania has been such a tremendous teammate all year, really her whole career,” he said. “From the beginning of the season, she’s taken our three freshmen under her wing, worked with them as a group in batting practice, kept them up and excited and involved. She’s made them a big part of the team. And even though she might not be in the starting line up, she’s always upbeat and energetic in the dugout, and ready when called on. I couldn’t be more proud of who she is as a person, a student, and a teammate.”
Henderson started to feel more comfortable around her teammates no long into her first year.
“I remember how intimidated I felt as a freshman,” Henderson recalled, “not knowing anybody, feeling so scared to make a mistake. So I just want to give support and encouragement to everyone. Because everybody makes mistakes out there, and the faster you get past them, to quicker you can learn from them. And if you’re afraid to make mistakes, that’s when you make more.”
Thursday’s rainout against Wheeling Central was the only chance for the Cee-Bees to avenge their only loss this season.
