* Robbinsville softball midseason report
Head coach Billy Knight has a depth chart unlike any other at his disposal, led by seniors Liz Carpenter, Olivia Lewis and Taylor. The underclassmen are just as prolific at the sport as the juniors, which makes for a highly-competitive environment on the field – both for Robbinsville's opponents and amongst the Lady Knights themselves.
The only speed bumps on Robbinsville's journey this year have been a pair of losses to the 3A Enka Sugar Jets, as well as a road loss at Murphy on April 1.
Otherwise, the Knights have posted three shutouts and overall, outscored their opponents 112-30.
No stranger to a potent offense, Daphne Barlow currently has the top average on the club: a .421 mark, with two doubles, a triple and eight RBIs on her resume. Webster has a team-best 14 RBIs, while Taylor has launched three homers. In addition to Dreylee Webster, Robbinsville (11-3) has seen home runs off the bats of Carpenter, Sophie Roberts and Lexie Williams thus far.
Taylor has stepped into the role as the No. 1 starter and at Spring Break, boasts a 1.39 ERA and 64 strikeouts. Sophomore Presley Caylor (3-1) has also impressed when stepping inside the circle, striking out 18 and posting a 2.94 ERA.
At the exact midpoint of the league slate, a pair of home/away conference matchups against Hayesville and Cherokee – along with a make-up game Wednesday, April 23 against Swain County – are all that stand between Robbinsville and its 17th divisional crown.
Have a day, kid
Cullowhee – Webster homered in her first at-bat at the varsity level: a grand slam against Copper Basin, Tenn., on March 14, 2024.
Exactly 13 months later to the day, she managed to one-up her debut.
Six of Robbinsville’s runs Monday crossed the plate thanks to her bat, as Webster drove in 86% of the Lady Knights’ runs to lift her squad to a 7-1 victory over A.C. Reynolds at Western Carolina University.
The game was scoreless with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but Webster ended the stalemate by launching a 3-run screamer over the left-field fence.
A.C. Reynolds (5-10) pieced together its only run in the fifth, when Fallon Pressley singled in Maddy Davis.
Webster got the run back – and then some – in the bottom of the frame, doubling on a bloop single to right field to bring in courtesy runner Loxley Burke, Ella Atwell and Sydney Adams. Lexie Williams followed with a two-bagger to score courtesy runner Khaygen Buchanan, rounding out Robbinsville’s production.
Toeing the rubber for the Lady Knights was Taylor (8-2), who dismissed eight Lady Rockets in a complete-game effort.