Freshman softball pitcher shines for Twin Rivers

BROSELEY — It's been a learning experience thus far for a Twin Rivers freshman pitcher as she is still learning the ins and outs from the mound.

Alexis Parson is a member of the Twin Rivers Lady Royals softball team and has taken great strides as the starting pitcher for the spring season. Though she only began playing softball a few years ago, Parson has already accomplished a lot during her first stint on varsity.

Like any other young athlete stepping up for a bigger role on a good team, Parson said it wasn’t easy, but credited the team for making her feel comfortable about her new role.

“It was obviously very stressful at first,” Parson said about being the starting pitcher for varsity. “The team has really helped me out and basically took me under their wing. During my first game, I was so stressed out and couldn't shake it, which led to really bad pitches. They all came up to the mound and gave me some encouraging words, and I couldn’t thank them enough for accepting me as they did.”

Parson helped the Lady Royals to a 15-9 record for the spring season, building up the team’s chemistry as they prepare for fall. Of her 15 starts, Parson threw moe than 1,600 pitches and went 10-5 in the pitcher's circle, facing 477 batters and recording 169 strikeouts.

She wasn’t a slouch from the plate either, as she finished as the Lady Royals' leading hitter with a batting average of .550 and connected with 44 hits, including 27 singles, 13 doubles and 49 RBIs.

Parson said she felt she had a pretty decent season but understands there are things she can always work on to improve.

One person who’s taken notice of Parson’s improvement as a softball player is head coach Lisa Boyer.

“She's a great kid,” Boyer said. “She’s very coachable, and Parson puts a lot of pressure on herself to be great, so I really don’t have to ride her like that. I think she's learned so much from the fall to the spring, especially taking constructive criticism very well.

She's becoming more of a pitcher than just a thrower, and you have to praise her parents for getting her out there and getting her the experience to get to the level she's at in such a short time.”

Boyer said that what separates Parson from other freshmen is her ability to handle pressure. She wants her to continue learning to control the tempo of the game, identify the correct pitch locations and know her hitters and where they can hurt you as a pitcher.

Freshman Alexis Parson smashes a double to left field against Naylor earlier this season. Parson finished the spring season as the leading hitter for the Lady Royals with a batting average of .550 and connected with 44 hits, which included 27 singles, 13 doubles and 49 RBIs. DAR/D�Courtland Christian

Parson has come a long way from when she first started at the age of 12, traveling with local softball teams to develop her game. Before focusing primarily on softball, Parson also played basketball, but after spraining her MCL, she was advised to put it on the shelf for now, but hopes to one day step back on the court.

Since giving her all into softball, Parson gives a lot of credit to Boyer and the feedback she’s offered to make her a better all-around.

“I just love her to death, and she's such a sweet person,” Parson said. “I think when she's on the field, she's very intense, but she's pushed me to be a better person and player. She's really taught me a lot throughout this year, and I look forward to what’s to come.”

So far, Parson has grown to love the game of softball and enjoys meeting other players along her journey. Pitching makes her happy despite the stress it brings, but she now feels a special connection with it the more she steps onto the mound.

As she continues to play, Parson hopes to continue this momentum heading into her sophomore season but knows there is much work to be done to get better.

“I just got to stay pretty positive,” Parson said. “It's all a mental game for me, and I've always struggled with that. I plan to block everything out, keep with it, and keep working.

I want to reach a certain pitching speed and would also like to play college softball. One of my major goals is to reach 1,000 strikeouts by my senior year.”