For any athlete, being a part of the state championship game is something special. For sophomore Jordan Williams, pitching in the softball state championship game as a freshman last year was a once in a lifetime experience that she hopes to repeat.
“It was really nerve-racking, especially coming in with all of the talented groups of girls,” Williams said. “It was challenging and interesting.”
Williams pitched a total of 10 innings in the team’s two wins against Bentonville in the championship May of last year, so starting this season wasn’t an issue.
“After pitching in state last year, I wasn’t really nervous at all to be coming in and pitching varsity this year,” she said. “It’s not the same pitching in a conference game as it was pitching in state last year.”
Williams started the past two games of the team’s first three matchups, walking two batters and giving up seven hits while striking out three in the team’s 0-2 loss to Greenbrier March 7 and allowing five runs on five hits, walking five batters and striking out five in their 11-5 win over Rogers March 8. She also pitched in the 0-2 loss to Russellville Feb. 28, keeping the Lady Cyclones from scoring another run the whole game. Despite the team’s 1-2 start, Williams said she’s hopeful for the rest of the season.
“I think we’ll be pretty good,” she said. “We won’t be as good as we were last year, but we’ll still have a good team.”
Even though the softball team lacks experience with only one active senior, the sophomore pitcher feels the pressure of varsity sports. But, Williams said she can handle taking the leadership role from the mound.
“I keep everybody in a positive attitude,” Williams said. “If anybody gets down, you have to bring them back up.”
The Lady Hornets have a challenging game ahead, opening up conference play against Benton March 14. Williams said they’ve spent much time and effort preparing.
“We’re preparing right now by working on how to hit. We’re working on how to catch up with their speed and their movement,” she said. “Our defense is solid right now, so we’ve just got to keep away from any errors.”
Thursday’s game will be at 5 p.m. at the softball field. Then, the Lady Hornets will hit the road to participate in the Tournament of Champs March 15-16.
