Photos by Rome City Schools
Emily Herren has taken over as head coach for the Lady Wolves softball team and this group of talented athletes is young and full of potential. Of the 18 total girls on the roster, only five are seniors and the rest are freshmen and sophomores. With youth comes the ability to build a program where all athletes buy in and pass along the culture of the program to newcomers joining the squad.
In a home game with the Paulding County Patriots, the bats and pitching were strong, but errors on the field plagued Herren’s team all afternoon. However, the overall athleticism proved to be promising for the future of Wolves Softball. From diving catches in the outfield, outstanding base running and supportive attitudes when down, to the ability of the team to pile up five runs and climb back from an 8-0 deficit in the first inning, all of the nuts and bolts are definitely in place to create the team Herren envisions for her girls.
“I tell our girls we have to play every inning as if it is a single game,” said Herren after a tough 19-10 loss to Paulding County. “If we can learn to win the majority of the innings, we will win the game. When we have a rough start, I tell them to just chip away and don’t break from our game mentality of basics together, band together and fight.”
Herren goes on to say that she has been working on forming good practice habits and the Wolves are grinding away at getting better every day.
“The sky is the limit for these girls and the potential that comes through our schools is exciting. We are very athletic and we are working on realizing our strengths and grasping the concepts that will make us better,” Herren explained.
Those who were in the stands saw the flashes of extraordinary play from Rome like senior Caliece Brown’s diving left field catch for an out.
“Our pitcher Mackenzie McNitt hit her spot and got us what we needed, which are pop-ups and ground balls. We also ran the bases well, but we have to concentrate more on fielding the ball effectively and finishing the play. We are going to get better and we are working hard on the field every day.”
Please be sure to come out and support our Lady Wolves team and new head coach, Emily Herren. There is no doubt that this young pack will one day lead the charge.
Here is a list of upcoming games:
8/23 @ Hiram
8/27 @ Pepperell
8/28 Carrollton
8/30 @ Woodland
9/4 @ Kell
9/6 Kell
9/10 @ Paulding County
9/11 Cass
9/13 East Paulding
9/17 @ Villa Rica
9/18 Hiram
9/20 @ Carrollton
9/24 Woodland
9/25 Chattooga
