SB: Lady Rider trio named to 18-3A elite squads
be named to the All-District 18-3A First Team. She was joined by
second baseman Ashley Schulz. Cassidy Rainbolt was a second-
team member. (Photo by John Krueger)
Two members of the Center Lady Rider softball team earned First Team All-District 18-3A honors recently as three players on the team were placed on the top two teams, with an additional member of the squad receiving honorable mention all-district.
The Center defense was stingy up the middle in 2010 as the Lady Riders posted an overall record of .500, posting a 16-16 record throughout the season and a 6-8 mark in the always-tough District 18-3A race.
Lady Rider junior centerfielder Destiny Russell earned first-team honors, along with junior second baseman Ashley Schulz.
Sophomore sensation Cassidy Rainbolt, who emerged as the No.1 pitcher in the CHS rotation late in the season, received the nod from the league's coaches as a member on the second-team all-district squad.
Kaley Nichols, a junior who played catcher for Center, received honorable mention.
The Lady Riders began the season with an impressive 11-0 whitewashing of Corrigan Camden before winning 4-of-6 games at the Hudson Tournament to posted a 5-2 mark.
CHS then participated in the Tina Minke Tournament in Denton for the first time in the school's history, facing some of the better programs in the state. Center came home with a 2-3 mark in that tournament.
The Lady Riders once again hosted the Lady Rider Invitational, posting a 3-3 record to enter league action with a 10-8 record.
After struggling early on against district opponents, owning a 2-5 mark, Center rolled to four wins in their next five games, with victories over Central (11-4), Jasper (6-2), Diboll (5-2) and arch-rival Carthage (4-2), who at that time was ranked No.15 in the state.
With their District 18-3A record evened at 6-6 and their season record improved to 16-14, the Lady Riders dropped their final two games of the season, but fought valiantly in the season finale in a 3-0 setback to No.1-ranked Huntington.
Several members of the Center squad received recognition on the Academic All-District 18-3A team. The six players earning this honor included Rainbolt, Russell, Schulz, Nichols, sophomore Suzanne Peace and junior Marnie Mize.
The entire Lady Rider softball roster will return for the 2011 season with the hopes of challenging for the league title next season.