Centralia softball is off to a good start this summer.

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Centralia’s varsity team won six of its first nine games, including four wins on June 11 in its first home softball camp this year. The Lady Panthers tied in their fifth game while the junior varsity squad went 3-1 in their games.

Head coach Liz Bostick said Centralia is adjusting after losing pieces from its Clarence Cannon Conference championship team a season ago.

“We’re coming into this already fresh from last year,” Bostick said. “I don’t feel like my kids are a step behind. I feel like we’re going to keep growing. They’re shifting on the field just like I want them to, and it’s really good to see because it’s less teaching I have to do.”

Bostick said Centralia played in a large-school league covering the Columbia and Jefferson City areas, finishing that camp with a 3-1 record after facing Blair Oaks, Battle and Hickman. The Lady Panthers will have two more home camps, with one happening on Tuesday and Wednesday this week and the other occurring in the third week of July. 

After losing a solid group of seniors, including senior pitcher Kaelyn Walters, Bostick said the pitching staff is forming nicely and should be good as long as they’re healthy. The other areas of the Lady Panthers seem to be in good shape after going through consecutive-game schedules demanded from a camp.

“We’re putting the ball in play really well,” Bostick said. “The best thing about this is we have to adjust to pitching. In one game, we may have a pitcher that’s throwing about 60 (mph), and we see another one that’s throwing 45. I love this just because it throws a lot of pitchers at us and asks us to adjust at the plate. We’re doing that right now.”

Bostick said Centralia stays busy during the summer to make sure the team is prepared come the fall season. It helps the kids who aren’t playing travel ball too as they are able to take at-bats against live pitching. 

“You hate to see your seniors go, and I hate to see a senior pitcher go for sure,” Bostick said. “But when you have kids that keep stepping up into that role and taking it on and wearing it on their shoulders, it’s a good thing to see.”