Community R-6 honors four dedicated seniors after 16-1 win vs Marion County

Every senior contributed for Community R-6 on Thursday night, but that isn’t anything new.

Community R-6 Softball Senior Night Photo Gallery

The Lady Trojans defeated Marion County 16-1 in four innings — recording their 10th game with double-digit runs — and the four seniors Paige Painter, Brooklynn Glasgow, Taylor Johnson and Alyssa Beamer each scored in the victory. Community moved to 21-7 to increase its program single-season record as Painter had four RBI, including a three-RBI home run, to go with her four innings with one hit and zero earned runs, Glasgow scored three runs and walked twice, Johnson walked twice, and Beamer walked once.

Head coach Kendra Murphy stepped in as the head coach of the program this season and said she was happy to have inherited such a good group of seniors. The Lady Trojans won their third Central Activities Conference title in the previous four years, including one this season when they defeated rival Cairo 3-2 on the road. The sixth-best Class 1 team, according to the most recent state rankings, has 12 players on its roster but still plays junior varsity contests for its younger players as it did on Thursday, which demonstrates the seniors’ greatness to Murphy.

“They’re not afraid to get their hands dirty,” Murphy said. “They’re not afraid to work and they’re not afraid to be the ones to carry the equipment to the bus. They even pitch in and play in the JV game so we can have a JV game. That says a lot. Normally, seniors have nothing to do with the JV game. I have nights that they’re fighting over who’s out there because they want to be out there to contribute so that the three freshmen can play.”

About an hour before the JV game’s first pitch and the dozens of photos being taken with them, the four seniors scored six runs in the second inning to give Community a firm lead in the varsity game. Johnson scored on a double by Rylee Rafferty, Beamer touched the plate after a passed ball, and then Glasgow crossed the plate with Painter on Painter’s third home run this year and fifth in her career.

Murphy said the Lady Trojans are difficult to stop when all of them are contributing and are near unstoppable when everybody on the roster makes an impact like was the case against Marion County (4-11). Thursday’s victory actually snapped a two-game losing streak after Community struggled offensively this week in losses of 2-0 at Montgomery County and 8-3 at Louisiana.

“We’ve been really slow with the bats the past two games,” Murphy said. “Making sure we pick that back up has been the focus in practice, getting those swings back to where they need to be.”

Painter, in particular, wasn’t late when she sent a pitch over the fence to give yet another memory in her career.

“It means so much,” Painter said. “I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”

Many of Painter’s memories were only made because of all the girls she has played with at Community so it is difficult knowing her four years are almost up. She shared moments at the plate with everybody after every home run she has hit and shared moments of joy and laughter two years ago concerning a former assistant coach. 

“Jeff (Angel) flipped over the right field fence,” Painter said. “He popped up and looked around and everybody was laughing. It was just amazing and I’ll always remember that.”

Johnson said she remembers seeing coaches falling over every year she has been a Lady Trojan, which has been a source of laughter every time. She especially likes how the coaches have always cared for the girls.

“We all just work hard together and support each other,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of fun.”

Beamer said the Lady Trojans have been close like a family, and for Beamer, that has literally been the case. She said her family has been teammates with her almost all four years, including cousins Emma and Sarah Angel and her best friend Painter, and has been glad to share meaningful moments with them like when the Lady Trojans defeated Cairo for conference this year.

“(Paige) is my best friend and I’ve known her ever since I was very little,” Beamer said. “The people around, I have enjoyed playing with.”

The other members of the Community family had solid games on Thursday as well, including leadoff hitter Rafferty going 3-for-4 with a triple, double and two RBI, Peyton Schafer had two RBI, Amy McCurdy went 2-for-3 with a RBI, and Jocelyn Curtis finished 3-for-4 with a double.

Glasgow is proud that the Lady Trojans broke the single-season wins record three times while she was part of the program, winning 18 games in 2020, 19 in 2021 and 21 and counting this year. She knows lofty accomplishments like that can’t be done alone.

“I’m pretty proud to be a part of it,” Glasgow said. “I’ve had some pretty amazing teammates. Your team chemistry is what is going to win a lot of ballgames.”

The Lady Trojans don’t want to be done yet. On Wednesday, Community R-6 learned it will be the No. 1 seed in the Class 1 District 4 tournament and face the winner of No. 8 Clopton and No. 9 Madison at 3 p.m. Oct. 14 at Westran in Huntsville.

Glasgow said the district field is tough as second seed Silex, who is tied with Community at No. 6 and has won three straight district titles, is there along with third seed and 10th-ranked Cairo and its 18-5 record, fourth seed Salisbury with its 14-8 record and reigning Final Four appearance, and fifth seed Brunswick/Keytesville with its 15-6 record. She believes along with her teammates and Murphy that the Lady Trojans can be the team to emerge from the loaded group.

“Our potential is so high,” Painter said. “If we keep doing what we’re doing — hitting the ball with defense and backing our pitchers up — we’ll go far.”

“It puts a lot of pressure on us because we have a lot to prove,” Murphy said. “Any of the four top seeds could have been the No. 1. We have to play three A games in a row.”

Lady Trojans fall 8-3 to Louisiana pitching

Community R-6 couldn’t muster enough offense against Louisiana’s pitching on Tuesday night.

The Lady Trojans lost 8-3 at Louisiana, thanks to a five-run Lady Bulldog sixth inning and only tallying four hits against Mattie Chandler and Reece Wommack.

The pair combined to allow one earned run and Wommack walked six. Two of those walks were drawn by Brooklynn Glasgow, and Paige Painter also had one along her solo home run. Chloe Johnson finished 2-for-3 at the bottom of the order. 

Jocelyn Curtis pitched five innings with five hits, one earned run out of three total and three strikeouts.

The loss marks only the second time the Lady Trojans have lost back-to-back games this year as they lost 2-0 on Monday at Montgomery County.