By Jeremy McDonald
jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
DALLAS, Ore.– Dallas freshman Kadence Morrison has showed off that High School potential over the Summer and Fall softball season.
A quiet speaker yes, she lets her pitching do the talking. Picking up much of the innings alongside fellow pitcher Laney Deloe with the Dallas Lady Dragons now 16U squad, the squad was 14U over the summer, Morrison has carried her quiet intensity over to the higher competition over Fall Ball.
“This is my first year playing with older girls so it’s a little bit different, but I already know most of the people. My friends have older sisters, but it was a little bit nerve-racking,” said Morrison. “It’s strange because I always looked up to them and playing with them and stuff.”
In 17 Fall Softball games so far, pitching 13 of them, Morrison has pitched 60-and-two-third innings with 91 strikeouts to her resume as she enters a Dragons Varsity program with two State Championship appearances in the past five years under Head Coach Brandi Jackson.
“There’s a little bit (of pressure),” joked Morrison following the Lady Dragons doubleheader at the Lyle Sports Complex of entering the program.
Playing with some of her future teammates in Morgan Dippel and Hayley Johnson, the Dragons 16U squad went to work Saturday morning across town from their home turf. Edging the Hillsboro Diamondbacks 8-4 in the breakfast game and were in a dogfight against the Central Oregon Crossfire.
Morrison, who pitched two innings in relief of Deloe who pitched three innings of three strikeout ball against the D-Backs, pitched a complete game. As she checked off each inning pitched, the game was neck-and-neck with the Crossfire leading 3-2 on Morrison’s crew.
Morrison stayed within herself, trusting her defense along the way. Knowing if it’s in play, her defense has her back to make the play
“If I ever put the ball into play when I’m pitching I know my defense will back me up. I try to stay calm and not try to get too worked up about the little mistakes that might happen,” said Morrison.
The lone downside of another great defensive performance was little hiccups on offense as they had the tying run at third in the bottom half of the seventh, but couldn’t bring Kaelyn Golden home to force at least a tie of the game.
But it’s something they can work on entering Sunday’s 10am game against the Oregon Blaze 14U-Boynay.
“Just more talk, get our bats going more. Bats and our baserunning, we need to work on that too. We were struggling with that a little bit today too,” said Morrison.
Golden led the Dragons by going 4-for-5. Morrison led the offense with 2RBI’s on 2-for-4 hitting. Dippel had two triples in the Saturday finale.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
