2005

Smith posts solid year for When you look at Marley Smuh's stats for the 2005 soft- ball season. you'd by think she had been M pitching all her life. Stamarty I u fact. by the per junior college pitchers in the state. An 18-1 sophomore record with two saves and a 1.28 ERA back~ up that assessment. In 125 1/3 innings. she struck out 100 batters and walked 24. "You never think you· re What helps out Marley so much is her competitive nature. She belie\eS in herself and she's got confidence. You need that men– tal approach, as well as physical approach as a pitcher. "Marley definitely knows

tirne :.hP. left thP circle for the final LimP as a sophomore at East Central Community College. she wac; consider<'

going to have a pitcher go 18-1," ECCC coach Scott Hill said. "That's hard for anybody to do.

how to pitch and she's smart enough to understand that she didn't have to strike everybody out, although she struck out her share. She let her defense play behind her and she struck folk~ out when she needed to. "She got it done. She's defi– nitely a pitcher in every sense of the word." Smith didn't play the game of fast-pitch until she entered the seventh grade. "That was the first year Union played fast pitch," Smith said. "I was nervous. I was scared. It was all new. The only thing that helped me was the fact thar everybody was new to it. We were all on the same level. "I didn't start until Emily (Casey) graduated, so that was my 1Olh grade year when I took over." Developing into a pitcher did– n't come easy. Hour after hour was spent trying to become a pitcher and not just a thrower "It took throwing pretty much every day," Smith said. "I would throw until I got tired." The fact that she doesn't tire easily comes as no surprise to Hill ~she's definitely very consci enlious about her approach, not just during the game, but during practice." Hill said. "She j ust has a very good approach when it comes to preparation." After a 13-5 senior year at Union, Smith signed with the Lady Waniors of ECCC as a member of Hill's first team. She was 35-12 over her last three years of.;high school

Lady Warrior Ace Marley Smith of Union went 18-1 in her sophomore year at East Central Community College. The Lady Warriors finished with a 34-5 record. Photo by Marty Stamper. \::>I,V I I I,VCJr'W 1 1 a , ... ,.._~ --------- UNION APPEAL ___ -.t..:l..___ ___ WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL____ SPIRIT OF MORTON---- - --- lMPACT ________ ____

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