As if slogging around in ankle-deep water on the field — constantly seeming to take two steps backwards for every one ahead trying to get it playable — was not enough for Medical Lake head softball coach Tim Blakely, he’s faced with a huge hole in his lineup before the season started.
“To start off we’re facing a little adversity,” Blakely said. ”We lost our No. 1 pitcher, Taylor Carpenter, in basketball back in January.”
Carpenter, a junior, took a charge and suffered a major knee injury to her ACL, MCL and cartilage. Carpenter has since had surgery and is making an attempt to return to the lineup sometime. “She’s going through physical therapy and working hard to get back,” Blakely said.
Sophomore Suzanne Shores will work at pitcher for the foreseeable future, Blakely said. If and when Carpenter returns, Shores would likely return to work in the outfield and maybe first base.
Elsewhere for now, Blakely, whose team finished 2016 at 9-10 overall, has a lineup that seems to be pretty well set.
Ashlyn Tamietti is a sophomore who was in a utility role in 2016. “At the moment she is in our catcher’s role,” Blakely said.
Hailey Hostetter, a senior and second-team All-Northeast A League selection, returns at third base, while Sarah Mayer is back at first base. Two freshmen seem to have a lock on the middle infield with Allison Duncan at shortstop and Kaylee Thompson at second base.
In the outfield, junior Hannah Petek returns in left field, Taylor Pavao, a senior, is back in center field and Annika Redell, also a senior, is set in right field. Senior Alex Steinmetz played some outfield in the past, too.
Lorren Johnson, also a senior, is listed in a utility role on the roster.
Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.
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