Sports

Power at the plate

• Darton College’s softball team has benefited from the middle of the lineup as its primary source of production heading into today’s NJCAA state tourney.

Scott Chancey

ALBANY — The order might change, but the power remains the same.

Darton College softball players Hannah Layton, Morgan Jones, Tatiana Zhuchkova and Heather Crews are simply the middle of the Lady Cavaliers’ order.

No matter who’s third, fourth, fifth or sixth; they have been a vital reason why coach David Dews’ team is the No. 2 seed in the NJCAA Region XVII tournament in Dublin that begins today. Darton opens at 5 p.m. against the winner of an earlier contest from today between Abraham Baldwin and South Georgia.

“I think it’s a tough matchup for any pitcher because if we get runners on in front, we can move them over with a bunt and they still have to face other great hitters,” Dews said. “I think, up and down, we have a tough crowd to pitch to if we’re swinging the bats really well.”

For the pitchers, that kind of depth and production in the lineup proves to be a huge intangible.

“It takes the pressure off,” said Lady Cavs pitcher and Bainbridge product Tiffany Timmons, who is 8-5 on the mound with a 1.94 ERA.

Layton, who according to Dews on Wednesday is currently the No. 3 hitter, bats .413 and has six home runs, 32 RBI and a team-leading 15 doubles.

Jones, at fourth, has a batting average of .365 with seven doubles, 26 RBI and a team-high nine home runs, and Zhuchkova leads the team with a .459 average and two homers, followed by Crews (.449, 13 doubles, two homers, 26 RBI).

“You have to work through four strong hitters, back-to-back-to-back-to-back,” said Layton, whose hitting coach, Lincoln Martin, is now a scout for the Houston Astros. “I wouldn’t want to pitch to us.”

Crews agrees.

“We all hit pretty good,” she said. “It’s hard to pitch around it.”

Crews realizes her role is hitting for average instead of power and prefers base hits over home runs to keep the pressure on the pitcher, making her aware that another base runner is on either second or third.

Dews feels she is most effective doing just that.

“(Heather has) probably been the hottest hitter in region play,” Dews said. “She’s hit over .500 in the region, and she’s one of those scrappy type of hitters. She gets pitches to drive into gaps and she’s capable of hitting the long ball. All of our kids are like that — they take pride in their bats and fight hard.”

Jones, however, provides power. With nine home runs — three of which came in the Lady Cavs’ regular-season, doubleheader finale against Truett-McConnell — she is a constant threat at the plate with runners in scoring position.

Since other capable hitters are around her, Jones feels the team can adapt to any situation.

“If a runner’s at first, you go toward left field, and if a runner is at third, you hit to the right so she scores,” Jones said. “You just do what you can to help your team score a run.”

And Zhuchkova, who is one of two players on the team from Russia, has been among those kinds of hitters who reach base and help set up potential big hits from batters like Jones.

“(Zhuchkova) is one of those hitters that hits lots of singles and into the gaps with occasional power,” Dews said. “She gets on base a lot and she’ll always be a tough at-bat. She’ll foul a lot of pitches off and just really does a good job of trying to work herself toward a hit.”

There are other big hitters in the Lady Cavaliers’ lineup, however. Elena Litvina, also from Russia, leads the team with 33 RBI and only one player (Elle Arnold) has a batting average lower than .300 at .277 after more than 40 at-bats.

“With unselfish play and keeping the pressure on the other team, that really has been a factor (for us to reach this point),” Dews said.

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