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By BUBBA KAPRAL
PINE GROVE -- The Valley Lumberjills are striving for continued improvement this spring.
Coach Gary Partridge's inexperienced club won just two games last spring. Those two wins came on the heels of back-to-back winless campaigns.
With a 16-player roster to work with, more wins are likely to come down the pike this season.
Partridge lost Grace Berry, Maggie Hornbeck, McKayla Mellott and Steska Strum to graduation. However, with a pair of solid seniors and a strong junior class in the fold, better times are looming for the Lumberjills.
"Expectations are on the rise as our entire infield is returning," Partridge said. "I started the softball program at Valley in 2005 and coached until 2012.
"I returned last year and started rebuilding a team that could be competitive. I think we are heading in the right direction and the girls have been working hard to reach that goal."
Gracie Hayes and Cassidy West are Valley's senior leaders. Both are keys to success in Pine Grove this spring.
Hayes will be one of four pitchers utilized by Partridge. She will play third when not in the circle.
West is a quality catcher. She will be backed by her freshman sister Jamey.
Also expected to handle some pitching responsibilities are junior Christine Williams, sophomore Megan Brown and promising freshmen Kinsey Harris.
Williams will be the shortstop when not pitching. Junior Tessa Dudgeon will be the Lumberjills' first baseman. Classmate Brooklin McCaslin will start at second base.
Three other juniors -- Samantha Duke, Marisa Shannon and Alex Bassett -- bring experience to the lineup. Emma Ueltschy, Jenna Dallison and Hailey Baker are sophomores who will all see regular duty.
Freshmen Snydey Bucher and Hannah McKelvey round out the Valley roster.
March 18: at Bishop Donahue (2) Noon
March 21: Notre Dame 5 p.m.
March 22: Cameron 6 p.m.
March 25: at Madonna (2) 1 p.m.
March 27: at Paden City 5 p.m.
March 28: Hundred 5:30 p.m.
March 29: at Wheeling Central (2) 5 p.m.
March 30: at Frontier 5:30 p.m.
April 1: at Beallsville 1 p.m.
April 3: Paden City 5 p.m.
April 4: Hundred 5 p.m.
April 5: Beallsville 5 p.m.
April 7: at River 5:30 p.m.
April 10: Frontier 5:30 p.m.
April 12: Clay Battelle 5:30 p.m.
April 20: at Notre Dame 5 p.m.
April 24: River 5:30 p.m.
April 25: Cameron 5 p.m.
April 26: at South Harrison (2) 4:30 p.m.
April 27: at Clay Battelle 5:30 p.m.