Patriots softball racks up postseason honors

Marion players earn all-state, all-conference recognition

By CHUCK LIVINGSTON

Marion School District

Six Marion softball players earned postseason honors after guiding the Patriots to an 18-11 record and a second consecutive appearance in the state quarterfinals.

Senior third baseman Emerson Miller and junior centerfielder McKenzie Shinabery earned all-state and all-conference honors for a second straight season. Juniors Kelsey Baker and Brianna Morquecho, and sophomores Anna Hitchman and Kelsey Eppes rounded out Marion’s all-conference performers.

Miller caps her Marion varsity career after establishing 12 school records, including most career home runs (24), career RBI (101), career batting average (.486), and career runs scored (146). The West Georgia signee filled the stat book this spring, recording team-highs in onbase percentage (.543), hits (38), doubles (13), home runs (six), runs scored (45), stolen bases (18), and walks (21), and finishing second on the club in batting average (.422) and RBI (29).

Shinabery showed out in 2022, batting .379 with a .459 OBP on 36 hits, which included 12 doubles, a pair of triples, and a home run. The rangy centerfielder ranked second on the team with 37 RBI and 34 runs scored.

Baker garnered all-conference honors for a second consecutive season after batting .375, while she ranked second on the club with a .514 on-base percentage. The second baseman lashed out 30 hits, crashed eight doubles, one triple, and clubbed four home runs. She scored 34 runs, logged 17 RBI, and stole 17 bases.

Morquecho earned allleague honors this spring after batting .373 and a .442 OBP on 31 hits. She scored 24 times and drove in 23 runs while walking 11 times and stealing 10 bags. The team’s shortstop the past two seasons recorded a .933 fielding percentage and assisted on six double plays.

Eppes garnered All-5A East honors for a second straight year after a breakout spring that saw her top the Marion hitting chart with a .425 batting average with a .500 OBP. The sophomore’s 37 hits ranked second, and that total included 20 doubles, two triples, and a pair of home runs. The corner outfielder scored 33 runs, recorded 29 RBI, and walked 12 times.

Hitchman took over as Marion’s starting pitcher at midseason and fashioned an 8-3 record with 32 strikeouts to land on the all-conference roster. The talented sophomore could also swing it, recording a .361 batting average with a .490 OBP. Hitchman rapped 30 hits, including 10 doubles, and she tied for the team lead with six home runs. She topped the team RBI chart with 38 helpers, while walking 16 times, and scoring 14 runs.