Moorefield Softball started practice with an unexpected twist: No head coach.
Moorefield athletic director RaeAnn Orndorff stepped in as the volunteer interim coach in the first two weeks of the practice season.
Hardy County Board of Education made the approval at the beginning of first week of games hiring a familiar face: Jason Markwood.
The Markwood family has been involved in softball since its inception in the area.
Julie Markwood and sister Tammie Ayers were longtime coaches in the program before passing away, Kevin Markwood has been both a coach and umpire in the Moorefield Little League system and their children have come through the softball program.
Jason Markwood has been coaching softball for several decades including the 2005 Moorefield Little League Softball State Champions along with good friend Bub Riggleman, in addition to all levels in little league and travel ball.
Markwood will continue honoring Riggleman’s legacy with the annual Bub Riggleman Memorial Softball Tournament on April 17-18.
Markwood has a wealth of superstars on the team as most players were part of a travel national championship team last summer and Little League Junior League regional tournament representatives among other softball accolades.
The Yellow Jackets opened the season with a 15-nil shutout over Class AAA Hampshire behind the pitching of junior Annie Barr who threw six strikeouts with zero walks and allowed only two hits in the three-inning opener.
Moorefield junior catcher Grace Simmons is stellar behind home plate, but is a dynamic pitcher having helped the QueenBees win the USSSA Eastern national tournament in Northern Virginia.
Simmons added one hit and scored twice in the opener along with an RBI.
Brand new white uniforms with pinstripes are a huge hit with the entire Yellow Jackets team and look for blue ones with pinstripes to come to Sager Field very soon.
The biggest highlight of the season opener was a solo blast (HR) by junior Brenna See in the first inning, who led the team with two hits and three runs scored.
“It was really exciting to hit that home run in our first game. It was a great way to start the season and we got a big win. Having my teammates celebrating around me after the home runs was really cool,” Moorefield junior Brenna See stated.
Every member of the Yellow Jackets found a way to contribute whether at the plate, in the field or in the dugout.
Moorefield juniors Caroline Auville, Annie Barr, Grace Simmons and sophomores Emmy Crites and Peyton Miller recorded two runs apiece in the win over the Trojans.
Auville notched a two-RBI single as part of an 11-run third inning for the Yellow Jackets plating Barr and See, while Crites scored on an error during a steal at third base.
Moorefield freshman Kiersten Rinker garnered an RBI groundout, Simmons and Crites added RBI singles and senior Sara Baldwin plated a run with a bases loaded walk in the third inning.
The Yellow Jackets were grounded by Class AAAA Spring Mills in a doubleheader, but Simmons provided fireworks with two home runs.
Moorefield Softball seniors CiCi Kump and Raleigh Kuykendall suffered injuries during the basketball season and have taken the roles of statisticians and providing keen observations and advice in the dugout along with cheering loudly.
“We got us a win. It is all downhill from here. It feels real good to be coaching, but we have some work to do. The ladies did really good and we got to sub in some younger players, so that was really nice. I think as long as our pitching holds up and we keep our confidence up with girls stepping up from the dugout, we will be in pretty good shape. Our chemistry is getting there. We have a lot of kids who played together growing up and now split on travel ball, so we’re all trying to work together. It causes some strife, but at the end of the day you’ll learn to overcome that as a team and this is our family in the hours together inside this fence. I was most proud of the cheering today. The girls showed great support of each other. We got a home run to start the year for Brenna, so that is really good,” Moorefield Softball coach Jason Markwood commented.
The Yellow Jackets dugout was extremely enthusiastic and loud throughout the game supporting one another during every at-bat which Coach Markwood admired the most in the win over Hampshire.
The swarm of Yellow Jackets greeting See during her home run was joyful and priceless as she hopped into the Hive mind at home plate.
Baldwin is both a designated hitter and first baseman as a senior this year.
Moorefield juniors are: Grace Simmons (C/P), Caroline Auville (OF), Aryana Hinz (P/OF/IF), Brenna See (OF) and Annie Barr (P/OF); sophomores are Makayla Myers (1B), Violet Hearn (Util./OF), Peyton Miller (Util./Flex), Kerigan Bergdall (SS/P) and Emmy Crites (IF/P); and 11 freshmen finish the roster: Allie Wyman (OF), Chloe Champ (IF/OF/P), Kiersten Rinker (OF/IF/P), Brooklyn Hunt (P/IF/OF), Gracyn Williams (IF), Kennedy Kuh (OF), Ella Poling (OF/P), Anniston Kite (OF/IF), Taylor Miller (OF), Riley Strawderman (IF/OF) and Layla Barb (IF/OF/P).
The Yellow Jackets have a plethora of speed and tremendous hitting with expert bunting experience.
Joining Markwood’s coaching staff will be assistants Taylor Zuber, Jeremy Simmons and Ryan Arnold.
“It was really special, especially coming out and everybody played together as a team. We did pretty good. Everybody cheered real well today. The home run was really uplifting and got us cheering louder, especially being Brenna’s first at-bat. We are really excited about the new pins, everybody is excited about the new pins. My goal is to build everybody up together as a team, because I feel like we are a little broken right now. I hope to get everybody together. My favorite snack is Goldfish, I love Goldfish. My game day ritual is tapping Grace [Simmons] on the head every time she leaves the circle,” Moorefield junior pitcher Annie Barr noted.
Class AA Moorefield Softball has dropped rival Class A East Hardy from this year’s schedule and picked up Lancaster, PA.
The Yellow Jackets other out of state slate will be Strasburg (VA), Fort Hill (MD) and Mountain Ridge (MD).
Moorefield will face off against Class AAA state runner-up Frankfort and Class A defending state champion Pendleton County.
Moorefield’s schedule also includes Tucker County, Berkeley Springs, Petersburg, South Harrison, Keyser, Hampshire and Washington.
The Yellow Jackets are ready to swarm together for success under a new and established leader.
