2020 Halloween Contest: Pfeiffer University Softball Players’ Painted Pumpkins… You Pick the Best!

The COVID-19 pandemic may have cut short a very successful start to Pfeiffer University’s season but the Coronavirus couldn’t stop the Falcons softball team from competing in Year 2 of the Painted Pumpkin contest!

On the field, the Div. III college powerhouse lost its 2020 opener but then won 16 straight games as Coach Monte Sherrill’s team looked to be on track to win a second Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) title.

Coach Sherrill has a college career winning mark of .825 (174-37)—which is higher than any current DI or DII coach in the nation—and likes to encourage competition off the field as well as well.

Following up on last year’s popular Halloween-based pumpkin contest, in which the winner was chosen by Extra Inning Softball readers, the Falcons’ coaching staff once again broke the team into groups of three and four to get the creative juices flowing.

Vada Blue Sherrill, the former Pfeiffer All-American shortstop who is now an assistant coach to her father, explains the process of how the competition works.

“This is the second year of our squad getting together to paint pumpkins,” begins Vada, who set multiple school records before graduating last year. “We’ll scramble our team into groups with one senior in each group as the leader. They had the weekend to get together as a pod, brainstorm an idea and paint the pumpkin!”

Once again, the ingenuity was impressive and Coach Sherrill and staff are again letting the softball community decide the winner.

We’re going to have a vote-off to let YOU, the softball community, decide which pumpkin is the best overall.

Here are the choices with the players listed for each entry… select your choice according to the following # and/or name (from top left clockwise):

1. Papa Smurf: Kendra Mayes, Hannah Tyner, Sami Smith, Ellie McHone
2. Olaf (Frozen): Sarah Bowles, Ruth Hill, Taylor Parrish, Emerson Puzey
3. Winnie the Pooh’s “Hunny:” Reece Davis, Ashlyn Kennedy, Kayla Miller, Mattie Hinson
4. Fortnite: Sara Brown, Malea Prestwood, Caiti Mickles, Kyndell Warren
5. Grinch: Paige Love, Hailey Myers, Logan Donovan
6. Woody (Toy Story): Addison York, Alexis Walter, Adison Campbell, Kira Suttles

The deadline to submit your vote for best entry is Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020 at 5 pm EST / 2 pm PST. Email your vote to: [email protected].

We will announce the winning team on Saturday morning, Halloween Day.

— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball