In 2023, the Exeter softball team will be hoping the third time is the charm.
In the Class 1, District 5 championship on May 10, the Lady Tigers were defeated by Miller, 18-13, in a game that saw one Exeter player hit two home runs.
The first two innings provided a third of the runs scored, with Miller jumping out to a 9-2 lead. At the end of the second, when the team ran back to Coach Ashley Fly, she said, “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The Lady Tigers got right to it, bringing the deficit to 9-6 after a 2-run double from Madison Crumpler and a 2-run home run from Aubry Antle.
The closest the Lady Tigers ever got to a lead was 10-9 in the bottom of the third after a passed ball on a strikeout caused confusion for Miller, allowing Exeter to clear the fully loaded bases.
The top of the fifth was the game-changer. Miller took advantage of fielding errors to jump back out to a 9-point advantage.
One more run by Miller and no runs in the bottom of the fifth for Exeter would have resulted in a mercy rule.
Instead, Exeter plated one run in the sixth and held Miller to only 18 points. In the seventh inning, Antle rattled the bat again for a homer, driving in the final 3 runs of the game.
Fly said the difference in the game was being mentally ready from the start, and Exeter fought hard.
“Miller was ready to go from the start of the game,” she said. “We came out very nervous. We are a young team with a veteran pitcher. One of the key turning points in the game was when Madison Crumpler came in and shut them down offensively for two-and-a-half innings. She also kept us in the game when she struck out but ran to first and three runners were able to advance on a throwing error by the catcher. We fought until the very end of the game but just didn’t have enough to get past a feisty team.”
Fly said Antle’s fireworks at the plate will be sorely missed going forward, as the senior has played her last in an Exeter uniform.
“Aubry hit the ball well,” Fly said. “She is a kid we will miss in our lineup. She has been consistent all year, and if you hang the right pitch, she will go yard every single time. Her two home runs were key for us to stay in the game. I knew she would come in clutch at bat, she is a tough competitor at the plate.
“Aubry came out really nervous and pitched really nervous the first couple of innings. When I put her back in, she was able to keep the hitters off balance enough to get ground balls and pop flys. She could have pitched better from the start but Madison came in and threw well for us for 2-1/2 innings.”
Fly said the Lady Tigers felt fortunate to be in the title game, but now their focus is on winning one, having lost this one this year and falling to a state champion Purdy team last season.
“We knew at the beginning of the season we were going to be young and would need the freshman to help us achieve our goal,” Fly said. “We started talking about our goal of the district championship the first day of practice this season. The girls that were able to be a part of the district championship last year had some fire in their bellies to get back to where we had ended. We’ve already started talking to the younger kids about getting back to the district championship and what it will take to push a little more to win a district championship.
“We will do some offseason work and start working again during the winter to get back and win a district championship. The juniors and seniors are ready to get a district championship under their belt.”
Exeter will bring plenty of experience to the plate next season, as only Antle and Jolie Mattingly are leaving.
“We will miss Aubry Antle and Jolie Mattingly, but we have a great group of younger athletes that will continue to work hard and improve,” Fly said. “We will bring back nine players that will all have an impact on our success for next year. They are all hungry to get a district championship for themselves, but also for all the younger girls that have fallen in love with the game of softball due to these girls’ success on the field.”
That success is partly thanks to the team’s supporters, according to Fly.
“I would like to thank the Exeter community for coming out and supporting these girls,” she said. “These girls have made an impact on their community but the community support has made an impact on these girls. We would have not made it as far if it would not have been for the parents, teachers, and community supporting these girls throughout our season.
“We will miss our seniors Aubry and Jolie and wish them the best on their next chapter in life.”
Purdy finishes the season at 13-7.
EXETER SOFTBALL
Record: 13-7
Last result: 18-13 loss to Miller
More: Antle hits two homers in district title game
