Offense propelling Carroll softball toward possible district title

Members of Carroll’s softball team recovered the ball the next day in a ditch adjacent to the stadium. It did take a little while to find it.

The estimated distance of Abigail Stuart’s moonshot home run was 265 feet. The blast against Euless Trinity on April 12 left a memory that should last for quite some time.

But it also signaled how well Stuart has grown as a hitter. The sophomore began the final week of the regular season at .443 with seven home runs. That’s pretty close to where she was her freshman year. Stuart batted. 440 with seven home runs.

However, there is a difference. Carroll (19-9, 8-2 District 7-6A) has played 28 games. In 2015, the Lady Dragons only played 25 games. The Lady Dragons will play 30 regular season games before they move into the postseason. So there is the chance to improve upon those numbers.

Also, there is the opportunity for her to rewrite the record books for batting average, home runs, RBI and extra base hits before her career concludes.

“There have been times where she has gone through some lulls, but when she’s locked in, she’s really hard to pitch to,” head coach Tim Stuewe said. “The home run [against Trinity] shows how much stronger she has become. There’s a lot more she is capable of doing.”

Carroll offense

Eventually, the Lady Dragons offense is going to slow down, isn’t it? Well, that’s going to depend on the opposing pitching it faces in the postseason and how much players can grind out plate appearance to keep innings alive.

Through the season’s first 28 games, Carroll has collected 92 extra base hits – nearly 3.3 per game – divided between 54 doubles, 24 triples and 14 home runs. Carroll has scored 224 runs (8.0 per game) and is hitting .364.

That kind of offense can stress an opposing pitcher and her defense. In the win against Trinity, Carroll began the game with two doubles and a triple through the first four batters.

“I was pleased with what we have done, especially in the last couple of games,” Stuewe said. “We’re making some consistent contact. There were some baserunners we left. But overall, we’re doing some good things, and we’re getting some good production from the bottom of this lineup. It’s getting to the point where 1-9 is not offering any easy outs.”

What’s at stake

Carroll clinched a playoff berth for the seventh time in the last eight seasons under Stuewe (the Lady Dragons missed in 2010) last week. Now, pursuit of the district championship is the goal this week.

At the very best, Carroll can only clinch a share of the 7-6A championship with Hurst L.D. Bell. Bell (10-1) has already clinched its share. If the potentially troublesome weather persists, Carroll may or may not have played Haltom on Tuesday. But even if the weather forced them to wait to play that game until Saturday, Friday’s game against L.D. Bell will reveal all. Carroll needs to beat Bell to earn a share and the top seed. Carroll would earn the top seed because it would have swept the series. Bell enjoyed it second bye on Tuesday.

This story was originally published April 19, 2016 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Offense propelling Carroll softball toward possible district title."