It’s difficult to stop anybody when they’re rolling.
After a busy summer with her travel team, which is called Fear and is based out of Lowndes County, Sydney Adair was ready to step right into another fast-pitch softball season.
This season, though, Adair found herself with new responsibilities for the Heritage Academy Lady Patriots. The graduation standout pitcher Kaitlyn Oswalt, who signed with East Central Community College in Decatur, meant it was Adair’s turn to be the team’s No. 1 pitcher.
If that wasn’t enough, the freshman started the season in the No. 2 spot in the batting order before being moved up to the leadoff position.
Adair responded to the challenges by pitching all three of Heritage Academy’s games last week. She also went 9-for-14 and played a key role in the team’s first win Friday against Oak Hill Academy.
For her accomplishments, Adair is The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Week.
“It was more like I am ready for this because I had been doing this all summer,” Adair said. “It was a step up because I am playing older girls.”
Heritage Academy coach Mickey Allen said Adair rebounded from suffering the loss in the circle to Oak Hill Academy in the first game of the season and earned the victory against Oak Hill Academy on Friday. He said she has kept her focus at the plate in all three of the team’s games.
“She is able to compartmentalize enough that she doesn’t take it to the plate,” Allen said. “She didn’t have the outing she wanted in game one. She had a few walks, and we didn’t help her with a few errors, but she was still 3-for-5. She has had three hits in each game, and she is able to take the good with the bad, and there hasn’t been a whole lotta bad.”
Allen also figures Adair is going to get even better working a defense. He said she showed signs of being able to do that against Oak Hill by squaring to bunt on the first pitch of one of her at-bat. She took the bat back on the second pitch and drilled a double down the third-base line.
“We just had to get over the hump,” Adair said. “We got over the hump Friday. I think we should be good for the season.”
But extra-base hits aren’t Adair’s forte. Even though she is more of a singles hitter — bunts included — her speed makes her a threat to steal second and third. In fact, Allen said she is fast enough that she can steal second standing up. Through three games, she has scored 10 runs and stolen seven bases. She hasn’t been thrown out attempting to steal a base.
“She has exceeded my expectations,” said Allen, who moved Adair from the No. 2 spot in the order to the leadoff spot. “I know it is only going to get better because as the year progresses you’re going to hit better and better.”
Allen said Adair is one of two players on the team he has given a green light to do what she wants to at the plate. He said she is a smart enough hitter to read the defense to take what she is given.
“Her potential at the plate is pretty limitless,” Allen said.
Allen said Adair’s performance has been even more special she is having to shoulder all of the duties in the circle because Tyler Rhett, one of the team’s other pitchers, is out with an injury. Allen hopes to use Macy Nordquist in the circle to give Adair a break.
Adair played on the varsity team last season, so she said the “pressure” of being in the circle didn’t faze her. In fact, she said she simply tried to throw strikes and let the opponent put the ball into play so her defense could back her up.
As she matures, Adair anticipates gaining velocity in the circle. She also hopes she will get stronger so she can turn those bunts and singles into extra-base hits.
“I have always been a good hitter,” Adair said. “I put time into it. I make sure I always end on a good one and all my rounds are good.”
With Adair, Nordquist, Madison Tipton, and Carley Martin playing travel ball on the Fear, an Under-14 team that also includes players from New Hope and Caledonia high schools, Allen is looking forward to exciting times in the future. He hopes Adair will be someone who can help the Heritage Academy softball program continue to grow.
“She is an all-around good girl,” Allen said. “She is a good athlete who has great parents. She is one you really root for, even if you are a coach for the other team. You can tell she has got it. She is special. She is playing over her head.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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