SPRINGFIELD, Ga. – Effingham County’s softball team has a 1-2 punch — and it’s not just a scoring term in the scorebook.
Senior pitcher Ansleigh Giordano, a first-team all-state performer and last season’s subregion player of the year, returns to the circle with first-team all-subregion catcher Gracie LaFleur behind the plate.
The Giordano-LaFleur battery has powered a three-year run that produced a 77-20 record and three trips to Columbus for the Elite Eight state tournament. Last year, the Rebels finished fourth.
Giordano and LaFleur — who have played softball together since they were 9 years old — have both committed to play at Augusta University. But before they head to college, the seniors have unfinished business.
Seniors set the tone
“Getting to the Final Four (in Columbus) was amazing, but it’s not the best,” LaFleur said. “We don’t want to be complacent. We want to be the champion at the end of the day.”
Added Giordano: “Our summer was strong, and I can’t wait to see how our season is going to be based off the summer.”
The Rebels return only four starters from last year’s 24-6 team, but with a strong junior varsity program, “reloading” is a better fit than “rebuilding.” And Giordano and LaFleur will be leading the charge.
“It’s comforting to know we have Ansleigh and Gracie back,” Effingham County head coach Brad Thompson said. “For us, it’s exciting to see them going to the next level. I was glad to see them commit, because for the last couple of weeks it seems like a championship is the only thing on their minds.”
Giordano, a right-hander, went 9-3 last season with a 2.66 ERA. She also hit .427 with three home runs and 19 RBIs.
LaFleur hit .434 with four home runs and 33 RBIs.
New faces, same goals
Returning first baseman Shelby Zeigler, a first-team all-subregion selection who belted nine home runs and is committed to Emmanuel College, adds pop to a lineup that averaged nearly eight runs per game.
Center fielder Gabie Hill, a 5-foot-4½ second-team all-subregion pick, is stepping into a bigger role as one of the few returners.
“In the past, there were older people who could teach me,” Hill said. “It’s crazy to see how teams progress and people step up from your freshman to your senior year. Now I have to be better situationally aware. I better know what I’m doing.”
Thompson said two-year JV players Kamryn Hall, Cheyenne Hart and Tristin Johnson — a speedy courtesy runner on varsity last season — are leading candidates to fill the infield spots at second base, shortstop and third.
Junior Mady Reagan and Giordano could flank Hill in the outfield. Versatile junior Jenny Parker, who can catch or play anywhere on the field, and freshman Jocelyn Bettinger are expected to compete for time as well.
Junior Ava Wiley is expected to join the pitching rotation, with sophomore Ireland Floyd and freshman Dallas Mikell vying for the No. 3 spot.
“We’ll have some youth on the field, but with all the games they play in travel ball, (a lack of) experience won’t be an excuse,” Thompson said. “We have high expectations. Everyone is a year older. We’re not going to make excuses — we’ll make adjustments. Expectations are always the same. We want to get back to the Elite Eight (in Columbus) and have a chance to win a championship.”
