Lady Gators Aim for "Wee-Peat"
To Hilary Chapman, the Wewahitchka softball mindset is a new way of thinking.
As a freshman at Bainbridge High School in Georgia, Chapman played on a team that didn't care much about winning. As a member of Wewahitchka coach Coy Adkins' summer teams the last two years, she got a taste of the Lady Gators approach.
So when her family moved to Bay County before this school year the decision to move to Wewahitchka was an easy one.
And it's paid off.
The Lady Gators (25-2) will play in their sixth-consecutive state final four Wednesday, against Glades Day (21-7) in Plant City at 2 p.m.
"Everybody has one thing on their mind and that's to win," Chapman said.
When it comes to winning this late in the season, Chapman has looked to her teammates for a lead.
Her addition made an already strong Lady Gators' lineup the best in the state. Thus far they've been the wire-to-wire top-ranked team in Class 2A and if they win a second-straight state championship they'll most likely end the season atop the polls.
Chapman has established herself as a consistent leadoff hitter and a not-so-traditional shortstop. The left-hander has given Wewahitchka's standout pitcher, junior Samantha Rich, a parachute of comfort throughout he middle of her infield.
"I feel safe," Rich said. "I feel nothing really gets by her and if it gets hit to her, it's a guaranteed out."
Her ability to hit to both fields and her discipline at the plate has made Chapman equally as reliable on offense.
"She's probably the toughest out in softball in the area," Adkins said. "Maybe in the state. She's hard to get out.
She's also contributed to Wewahitchka's power. Five of the top six top home run hitters in the area are from Wewahitchka. Combined, Rich and Chapman, who are first and second respectively, have hit 16 of Wewahitchka's school-record 43 home runs. Eight lady Gators are batting .300 or better.
In order for Chapman to play for Adkins at Wewahitchka, the school had to go through a section appeal with the FHSAA, which was granted.
"She's really just fit in well with the other kids," Adkins said. "Although she's not a traditional leadoff, it gave us somebody who gets on base before our two, three, four hitters got on base. And defensively, even though she's not a natural shortstop, she's a good enough athlete that it's allowed us to keep her there."
Two factors have had a great significance on this year's team, Adkins said. There isn't the pressure of losing in four straight final fours and there isn't the stigma anymore of a small school from a small town not being able to beat the big private schools from the big cities. Those were taken care of with last year's state title.
This year's team is also older and more mature than past Lady Gator squads.
Then there's Rich.
The junior has dominated the state playoffs, allowing one run to Wewa's 30, and four hits in three games. She pitched a no-hitter against Maclay in the regional quarterfinals and then came back with a pair of two-hitters against Port St. Joe and Sneads.
"We are feeling confident that we can win this whole thing again," Rich said. "I'm more ready to play. Last year we were more nervous. Now, because we finally have a championship behind us, I'm more confident with what we can do."
