Belpre senior pitcher Makayla Carmichael was named to the Ohio Southeast District first team in Division 6. Carmichael finished her high school career with more than 500 strikeouts. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG – A competitive fire best describes two softball players who were recently named to the Ohio All-Southeast District first team.

Sophomore shortstop Delaney Gates brought confidence to the Warren dugout, while senior pitcher Makayla Carmichael had a take charge attitude for Belpre.

Gates batted .423 with 10 doubles and three homers. She scored 28 runs and drove in 11.

“Delaney loves the game,” Warren coach Katie Dickson said. “She is always reading and learning. Last year, she saw how softball is a game of inches and seconds, and it seems like she improved that part of her game.

“She gives off a vibe – she is the kind of teammate you want to have, but the type of player you don’t want to play against.”

Warren sophomore shortstop Delaney Gates applies the tag on a Marietta baserunner, Gates was named to the Ohio Southeast District first team in Division 4 after batting .423 this season. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

According to Belpre coach Steve Welch, Carmichael always maintained a smile regardless of the situation. At the same time, her mound presence was something which was irreplaceable.

“Makayla wanted the ball all the time,” Welch said. “She would never get down after a bad inning and always had a smile on her face. She was always so positive.

“That’s one thing I will always remember about Makayla. Whether things were going bad, she didn’t let that get to her teammates.”

Cunningham also batted .378 with four homers, 16 runs and 17 RBIs. She also recorded more than 500 strikeouts during her high school career at Belpre.

Teammate Lucy Ruble caught both Carmichael’s 400th and 500th strikeout and landed on the Southeast District second team for Division 6. As a junior Ruble batted .391 with five homers and 15 RBIs.

“Lucy and Makyala have been together for the last three years on varsity – she had a very quick bat with lots of power,” Welch said.

Also recognized as part of the second team in Division 6 was Belpre freshman Addy Stewart. The starting shortstop batted .411 with 16 runs and 15 RBIs. Even though she was aggressive at the plate, Stewart struck out just three times in 56 at bats.

“Stewart wasn’t afraid at the plate,” Welch said. “I watched her during the basketball season and saw she was very athletic. She rarely swung at a bad pitch. She played the field like she batted – she was very aggressive.”

Both Warren and Belpre had four representatives on their respective Southeast District teams. Belpre first baseman Ava Brookover and Warren third baseman/catcher Jada Murray both received honorable mention.

An injury during a scrimmage last season kept Murray on the injured list the entire year. As a sophomore, her cannon for an arm paid dividends at the hot corner. She also split time as a catcher.

“Jada’s bounce-back year was so much fun,” Dickson said. “Honestly, to get district recognition especially when Warren is not in the meat of the district is incredible.”

That statement in reference to Division 4 also applied also to second-team selections Emma Lang and Marina Johnson.

Johnson resembled Warren’s version of a swiss army knife and played multiple positions.

“Marina was my overall leader – she doesn’t just lead by example, she is vocal and quick to give high-fives when she needs to,” Dickson said. “She doesn’t love pitching, but she threw when I need her to.

“Offensively, she struggled and that could have been detrimental, but she played through it and her defense was stellar.”

While the offense struggled at times, defense was always a constant for Warren. Lang was the epitome of that part of the game. As the starting center fielder, she didn’t commit her first error until late in the season.

“It’s amazing the amount of ground Emma can cover,” Dickson said. “She is going to stay in center field next year. I can’t imagine putting her anywhere else because she has the wheels to flat out cover the position.”

All four Warren girls recognized by the Southeast District return for next season. This year set the foundation and next year the Warriors intend to build off it. Especially with a player like Gates in the lineup.

“While I like Delaney at shortstop, she might be in the outfield because she can read a ball and cover serious ground – if she wants to play college ball she will need to play other places as well,” Dickson said. “She has high expectations. She is gritty and wants to work hard. She puts a heavy amount of pressure on us coaches – she is not here to mess around.”

Local teams also represented by the Southeast District included Marietta in Division 3 (Hailey Miller, Sam Mayo, Kara Schaad and Julia Malone) and Waterford in Division 7 (Maya Wilson, Avery Smithberger and Allison Huck).

For Marietta, Miller was named to the second team, while Mayo, Schaad and Malone were honorable mention.

For Waterford, Wilson, Smithberger and Huck were named to the second team.