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The LaGrange High softball team wrapped its 2022 season preparation with a scrimmage versus Northside (Newnan) on Wednesday. Despite losing 14-2, it was an extremely competitive game until head coach Craig Mobley pulled his starters. 

“We played 23 players,” Mobley said. “The score did not turn out the way we wanted, but when we pulled the main players out of the game in the bottom of the fourth it was 3-2.”

It was an opportunity to see how some of the younger girls would handle the pressure of playing a quality team like Northgate. While the girls made some “simple errors,” according to Mobley, it was still some valuable experience for the younger girls. LaGrange will be working on their communication over the next couple of days as Molbey believed that was the root of the majority of mistakes that were made. The Grangers are only set to have five upperclassmen this season. The entire infield will consist of sophomores this year. 

“We’re really young,” Mobley said. “We only got five upperclassmen, the rest our sophomores and freshmen. We are going to have some growing pains.”

Harlee Overton and Shelby Siggers are a couple of freshmen that have impressed Mobley during the offseason.

“Those girls are making headway and are going to push for starting spots and competing and helping us win ballgames,” Mobley said. 

Hudson Wood was one of the stars of the game as she hit an RBI single for the Grangers. Carolyn Garcia laid down a picture perfect bunt to drive in the other Granger run in the game. 

“We hit the ball well and took good approaches all night,” Mobley said. 

Zoe Thompson impressed on the mound as she looks to take the next step as a starting pitcher after earning some starts as just a freshman last season.

“She’s really coming into her own this year,” Mobley said. “She is really dominating in the circle and attacking hitters. I think she throws around a 73% strike rate.”

Thompson’s ability to get ahead of batters and make opponents battle against pitcher’s counts.

Despite the loss, there were some positives to take away from LaGrange. 

“We focused on each other and didn’t focus purely on the outcome,” Mobley said. 

Focusing on lifting their teammates up rather than the final score is what Mobley has been preaching all offseason.

Scrimmages are over as LaGrange will now prepare for their first official game of the season on Friday. LaGrange will take on Haralson County and Brookstone as a part of a doubleheader starting Friday at 5 p.m. as part of the Callaway Classic at Shuford Complex. The Grangers will get a chance for revenge against Northgate when they play them on Saturday as their last game in the Callaway Classic.