Carlton leading surging Advance/Bell City SB as postseason nears

The Advance/Bell City softball squad hasn’t advanced out of the MSHSAA Class 1 District 2 Tournament since 2021, but it very well may have the all-around balance to do so this season.

The Hornets (16-2) are currently on a 10-game winning streak and have outscored their last three opponents (Richland, Puxico, and Dexter) 62-0. However, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Hornets, and the most critical in the postseason, has been the right arm of junior pitcher Addi Carlton.

“She has a good sense of what a hitter is looking for,” Advance coach James Hamlin said recently of Carlton, “and what to NOT throw them.”

In her last three outings, Carlton has allowed just one hit over 11 innings, no earned runs, walked three batters, and struck out 27.

“She has a good idea on how to pitch to batters based on what she is seeing them do,” Hamlin said.

Following consecutive 15-win seasons, Advance/Bell City has topped that number this season but will close the regular season with a couple of challenges.

The Hornets will visit Portageville (17-8) today, before a strong New Madrid County Central team (12-8) on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

“Addi is a key part of our program,” Hamlin said. “There is no doubt about that, but it takes every one of the players. We’ve got 20 kids, and it takes every one of them, one through 20 for this to operate the way that it does.”

On paper, which won’t amount to much on gamedays, the Hornets are far and away the favorites to win the District tournament. Only Oak Ridge (11-5) and Oran (11-4) have winning records this spring, and the Hornets and Carlton already beat the Blue Jays 15-0 earlier this season.

In that win over Oak Ridge, Carlton worked three innings and allowed just one hit, no runs, one walk, and one hit. Of her 33 pitches, 23 went for strikes.

“She is very important,” Hamlin concluded, “but every grade (on the team) has kids who come in and contribute. They all work hard and hold each other accountable.”

The Hornets are pursuing a special season like the one the program achieved in 2021. That spring, Advance/Bell City won 21 games and finished fourth in the MSHSAA Class 1 State Finals.