NEW LEXINGTON - It was a rough start but a promising finish for New Lexington.
The Panthers went 9-14 but won sectional and district titles en route to a regional semifinal appearance.
Second-year
head coach Dave Ratliff has to replace some key pieces. Senior Bailey
Davisson will miss the season with an injury, while All-Muskingum Valley
League and district honoree Destyn Beard, Allison Dickerson and Britt
Danielson graduated.
Junior Bailey Harris, an MVL and Southeast District first
teamer, and junior Emily Robinson (SS/3B) highlight the returning letter
winners. Seniors Miranda Ward (1B), Rainbow Ratliff (C), Lexi Ellis
(OF) and Leah Forson (IF), junior Madyson McNulty (1B) and sophomores
Morgan Brown (IF) and Callie Fout (P/Utility) are also back.
Junior
Layona Davis (U), from Crooksville, sophomore Chloe Gilligan (OF) and
freshmen Kenadee Dillon (OF), Riley Harris (U), Brooke Lehman (U) and
Quincee McCord (IF) round out the roster.
Ratliff understands the difficulty of the MVL, but it will prepare his team for the tournament.
"We
want to have fun, work hard and play one game at a time," he said. "We
need to work on being more fundamentally sound on defense to help our
pitchers out. To be a contender, you must be fundamentally sound every
game."