Lady Saints look to go further this year

Nansemond-Suffolk’s softball team enters this season after reaching the state tournament semifinals last spring, making the goal this time around an obvious one for the Lady Saints. Nevertheless, the final couple steps in earning a state championship are often the toughest.

Head coach Kim Aston guided the Lady Saints to an 18-4 overall record and an undefeated run through the regular season of the Tidewater Conference. Aston has lots of reason for confidence and optimism, the biggest likely being the Lady Saints had their impressive 2010 season with one senior and two juniors on their roster.

Topping perennial TCIS power Greenbrier Christian with a 3-2 result late in the regular season was the critical win to get to the season title. The Lady Gators returned the favor in the final of the conference tournament, but Aston and senior Kelsey Ritter, a first-team all-state pitcher three years running, both point to knocking off Greenbrier as big, even heading into this season.

“Winning versus Greenbrier Christian really boosted us last year. Hopefully we can do it again and hopefully we can go far in states,” Ritter said.

“When we beat Greenbrier last year it was like a light bulb went off that we were good enough to beat anybody,” Aston said.

The postseason run ended with a 4-0 loss to eventual state champion Bishop O’Connell. Bishop O’Connell prevailed 12-0 in the final game, so the Lady Saints, at least arguably, finished last spring as the second-best team in VIS (Virginia Independent Schools) Division I.

The Lady Saints return five all-conference players. Ritter, who plays shortstop when not pitching, hit .585 with three homers and eight triples last season. She was Player of the Year in the Tidewater Conference and is planning on signing to play next year at Winthrop.

Morgan Daughtrey is the pitcher or shortstop, depending where Ritter is playing, and hit .425 last season as a sophomore.

Juniors Brooke Starling, at second base, and Nicole Turner, at third base are two more All-TCIS players. Starling hit .446 with 21 stolen bases and Turner hit .380 last year.

Freshman Macy Mears was All-TCIS playing some catcher and some shortstop as an eighth-grader. She hit .644 with 25 stolen bases.

Sophomore Devin Coyne transferred from conference foe Bishop Sullivan Catholic. Coyne was a second-team all-conference pitcher and outfielder last season.

Junior Morgan Lokie, who transferred from Grassfield and earned all-conference honors during NSA’s basketball season, will be an important utility player said Aston.

“We have a lot of confidence. A lot of the girls play tournament ball. Everyone works really hard,” Ritter said.

Where NSA will need to improve says Aston is finding ways to keep the offensive production going when they face outstanding pitching.

“The goal is to win the state championship, but we have to take it one game at a time,” Aston said.

The first game out of the gate will be a good test. NSA hosts Nandua Thursday afternoon and Nandua handed the Lady Saints one of their four losses last season.