NEWS

CHUCK LIVINGSTON
Marion Patriots Activities Network | 5/13/2024
Marion Patriots Activities Network | 5/13/2024
FOUR MHS SOFTBALL PLAYERS EARN POSTSEASON HONORS
Following a late-season rally that kept them in the playoff hunt until the very last game of the regular season, four Marion softball players earned postseason honors for their excellent 2024 seasons.
Freshman catcher and pitcher Kayson “K. Belle” McClain earned all-state and all-conference honors this season, while seniors Kelsey “Keppes” Eppes, and Anna “Hitch” Hitchman and freshman Kolbie Triplett earned all-league honors.
McClain burst onto the scene this spring as the club's primary catcher and led Marion in most offensive categories, including batting average (.467), on-base percentage (.573), hits (35), doubles (13), stolen bases (20), and RBI (24). She also recorded a .988 fielding percentage behind the plate, making just two errors all season. It is believed that McClain is Marion's first all-state freshman performer in at least 18 years, and likely in the history of the program (started in 1996).
Eppes capped her brilliant Marion career with a fourth all-conference nod in her fourth varsity season, and she also earned all-state honors as a junior in 2023. Eppes, who's Marion's all-time leader in doubles, ranked second this season in batting average (.389), OBP (.482), hits (28), doubles (seven), RBI (23), and stolen bases (14) and third in runs scored (18). She ripped a team-high four triples in 2024. Eppes shifted during the off-season to shortstop from the outfield, and she finished with a .920 fielding percentage and had a hand in a team-high five double plays.
Hitchman earned All-5A East honors for the second time in her career, turning in an excellent all-around season for the Pats. The senior right-hander emerged as the pitching staff's ace this spring, and she paced the Pats in innings pitched (117), victories (10), strikeouts (120), and ERA (2.93). Hitchman took over as the team's lead-off batter in April and she finished third in most offensive categories, including batting average (.347), hits (26), doubles (six), and she was first in home runs (two). Hitchman logged a .457 on-base percentage.
Triplett locked a starting outfield job in the off-season and never gave it back. The standout freshman performer batted .314 in 2024, with a .473 on-base percentage. She stacked 22 hits and ranked second with 24 runs scored. She coaxed a team-high 18 walks from opposing pitching, and she was second on the club with 16 stolen bases.
Chuck Livingston
Marion Patriots Activities Network | 5/13/2024
Marion Patriots Activities Network | 5/13/2024