The 2016-17 season was successful for the Lady Panthers in many ways. They finished with a record of 25-13, including a 9-2 record at home. On top of that, they were second in the region with a 10-2 record against those opponents. The only team in the region to top Starr’s Mill was Whitewater, and they managed to do so four times in six games. However, the Panthers were able to beat the Wildcats during a playoff run that went all the way to the final four.

After eliminating Veterans and Arabia Mountain, the Lady Panthers fell to Buford, which put them in the losers’ bracket. Following the loss, they eliminated Whitewater and Union Grove before falling to Walnut Grove in the final four of the state tournament.

“[This year] we’re hoping to be playing on October 28. That means we’re back in the final four,” head coach Mark Williamson said. “We’re hoping to get back down there and play until the last day of the softball season.”

The Panthers know how important region games are this year, and they started strong last Thursday with an 8-0 victory over the Griffin Bears.

Sophomore Paige Andrews pitched five scoreless innings for Starr’s Mill, and junior Laura Sellers led the offensive attack for the Panthers. Sellers batted 2-3 with two RBIs and a stolen base, as well as a run scored. Junior catcher Kate Ashmore also added two RBIs in the Panthers shutout victory. The game was called in the fifth inning due to an 8-run mercy rule.

“It’s good to get a region win under our belt,” Williamson said. “We made a few mistakes, but we did a lot of good things, too.”

Neither team scored in the first inning, and Andrews cruised through the top of the second inning before the Panther bats got to work. Senior Emily Nieuwstraten opened the bottom of the second inning with a lead-off double, and Andrews followed with a walk. After a sacrifice bunt, junior Alyssa Angelo hit a sacrifice fly to score Nieuwstraten, and give the Panthers a 1-0 lead, but Andrews was thrown out at home to end the inning.

The third inning was quiet for both teams, but the Lady Panthers were able to showcase their skill as a defensive team with great pitching and many good plays from the infield.

Starr’s Mill then used the fourth inning to blow the game wide open. After Andrews was hit by a pitch to start the inning, senior Kennedy Dennis hit a ground ball to the Griffin infielders. An attempt to throw out Andrews resulted in an error for the Bears, and two runners on base for Starr’s Mill. Angelo hit into a double play before freshman Lauren Flanders walked. Junior Lea Duben hit the lead runner home, and ended up on second base with Flanders on third. Ashmore seized her opportunity at bat with a two-RBI double, and suddenly the Panthers were up 4-0. Sellers hit another two-RBI double and Nieuwstraten followed with an RBI single to increase the Panther lead to 7-0.

“Offensively, we can still hit a little bit,” Williamson said. “Defensively, I’m hoping we’ll be stronger [than last year].”

The Lady Panthers went into the top of the fifth inning with a comfortable lead, and Andrews continued to dominate. Three outs later the Panthers went into the bottom of the inning only needing one run to end the game. Flanders bunted and reached base, and two batters later Duben reached third after an error by Griffin. The final run scored, and the Panthers were victorious in their first region match-up.

“We have a goal of being region champions this year,” Ashmore said. “We definitely have the potential to do that.”

The Panthers will play this season without their former star in Shelby Daniel. She has her name sprinkled all over the record books at the Mill. Daniel is fifth all-time in career slugging percentage, second in career RBIs, and fourth in hits.

“I hope some of the players that have been in the program for a couple of years will step up,” Williamson said. “We have eight or nine players that could really fill that role.”

One of those players is junior Laura Sellers, who is already making history at Starr’s Mill. She is currently first in career home runs and slugging percentage, second in career in batting average, and fourth in career on-base percentage.

Sellers and the rest of the team look to use region wins like Thursdays against Griffin to repeat the success they experienced a year ago. The next step for Starr’s Mill is a home contest against the McIntosh Chiefs on Aug. 15.

The Chiefs were third in the region a year ago and plan to steal a game from the Panthers. However, Starr’s Mill went 4-0 against their cross-town rivals last year. The first game between the two this year will start at 7 p.m.