DEEP RUN — Taylor Sandlin wanted her senior year to be special, and it was.
The South Lenoir hurler finished her softball career in style, posting staggering numbers both from the pitching circle and the plate and led the Blue Devils to the regional championship series. For her accomplishments Sandlin has been named The Free Press’ 2013 Softball Player of the Year.
“She got to the point to where she knew what she wanted out of the season,” South Lenoir coach Lisa Smith said. “She didn’t quite get there (to a state championship), but she worked so hard every day.”
Sandlin had a sterling 1.76 ERA and went 18-1 in 21 starts this season. She struck out 52 and held opponents to a .198 average as the Blue Devils reached the regional finals for the first time since Sandlin was a freshman.
The four-year starter rarely came off the field. She hit .380, drove in 25 runs and scored 26, and had a .978 fielding percentage with only three errors in a team-high 134 total chances.
Bottom line: Sandlin did it all.
“She went out there and she worked hard but she had fun, and she showed the girls that you can do both,” Smith said.
“When she’s not on the mound she’s out on the field somewhere.”
Smith feels Sandlin’s best quality may not have been her athletic abilities, but her leadership.
Sandlin was one of two seniors on the team, and she took it upon herself to be the so-called “mother hen.”
Whether rallying the troops from the pitching circle, third base or the dugout, Sandlin always knew what to say and when to say it.
“She tried to push the girls in a positive way, and she gave everything she had,” Smith said. “It was like, ‘Ok, we need to get this done and this done and this done,’ and have fun while we’re doing it.”
While Sandlin had a remarkable season as a player, the Blue Devils enjoyed high-level success as a team.
They finished with a 22-5 record, went 12-2 in their final year of East Central 2A Conference play and finished second behind Topsail, and reached the best-of-three regional championship series.
South Granville — which lost to West Stanly in the state 2A finals — may have gotten the best of South Lenoir with a sweep in the regionals, but the team is proud of what it accomplished nonetheless.
“We had a great season,” Smith said. “It was a total team effort.”
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.