2022 Halloween Pumpkin Contest: Pick Your Favorite Entry Among the Pfeiffer University Softball Players’ Painted Pumpkins!

By Extra Inning Softball Staff

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Which is your favorite of the Pfeiffer University 2022 Pumpkin Contest entries? Email us at **Info@ExtraInningSoftball.com** and select your favorite (l-r): A – Dumbo; B – Skeleton Mickey, C – Angry Bird or D – Trolls!

We’re a week away from it officially being Halloween which means it’s time once again to appreciate and savor the artistry and creativity of the Pfeiffer University softball program’s painted pumpkin contest… and, once again, Extra Inning Softball readers get to choose.

This time, though, you get to pick TWO favorites: one by group and the other by individual entry!!!

The 5th annual Pfeiffer University Softball Painted Pumpkin Contest has another half dozen amazingly painted pumpkins and, once again, YOU get to help choose the winner!

Every October, the rivalry between the Falcons player groups to paint the best pumpkin gets better and better.

“It’s always fun to see the girls trade their bat in for a brush!” Co-Head Coach Monte Sherrill told Extra Inning Softball of the team-unifying activity before last year’s contest.

This year, though, the standout coach has to be careful of an insurrection from within, however, as his daughter and former Falcons’ fastpitch standout Vada Blue Sherrill, who played for Pfeiffer from 2015-to-2019, is now the Assistant to the Athletic Director at the school.

The young-and-rising coach sees the value of having off-the-fielding team activities such as this one.

“Painting pumpkins becomes its own sport, team against team and player against player!” Coach Vada begins.

“Who can create the most shock factor, have attention to detail, or bring a character to life! As athletes, we see their physical and mental game on display on the regular, but when this time of year rolls around, you see a completely different side of the team (in a creative way).”

It’s evident that the Pfeiffer Painted Pumpkin Contest (or “PPPC” for short) is serious business as is the play on the field.

Last year, the DIII program based in Misenheimer, North Carolina, went 35-10 and made it to the finals of the USA South Divisional Tournament. As noted by the school’s SID program:

Coach Monte Sherrill completed his seventh season as Head Coach of the Pfeiffer softball team in the 2021-22 academic year with a career collegiate record of 229-58 (.798). To put this in comparison, Sherrill’s winning percentage is higher than any current Division I or Division II coach in the nation.

2022, the Falcons won the USA South “East” Division Regular Season Title, making that Sherrill’s 33rd straight title which awarded him USA South’s Coach of the Year honors.

As we said last year: perhaps the secret to his success could be team bonding activities… like this one!

Here are the 2022 entries – both this year’s group and individual works of art – and be sure to vote for your favorites by emailing: info@extrainningsoftball.com no later than this Saturday (Oct. 29, 2022) at noon EST.

A – Dumbo 🎃

Kali Morton (RHP, Jr.)
Skylar Price (IF, Soph.)
Taylor Parrish (RHP/DP, Sr.)
Cassidy Brinkley (OF/C, Soph.)
Ellie McHone (1B/OF, Jr.)

Group Spokesman: Cassidy Brinkley: “The pumpkin contest is something the team looks forward to every year, each group always go all out in order to win. Our group chose Dumbo because it’s something relatable that everyone can enjoy. It allowed us to reminisce on your childhood while also bringing us closer to our teammates.”

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B – Skeleton Mickey 🎃

Charly Cooper (2B/SS, Fr.)
Kyndell Warren (SS/2B, Sr.)
Jaci Cook (IF, Soph.)
Kaylee McCarthy (OF, Fr.)
Kara Hinkle (RHP, Fr.)

Group Spokesman: Kyndell Warren: “Painting pumpkins is always something the team looks forward to because it is a good (and friendly) competition between us and it is a good time for the younger girls to really get to know the older ones. Our team (Kara, Charly, Jaci, and I) chose to paint a skeleton Mickey because we thought it would be a fun challenge and who doesn’t love Mickey Mouse?!?”

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C – Angry Bird 🎃

Gretchen Wolpert (1B/C, Soph.)
Kenzi Lyall (RHP, Soph)
Alyssa Broaddus (OF, Soph.)
Gracie Griffin (1B/3B, Soph.)
Emma Chopko (C, Soph.)

Group Spokesman: Gretchen Wolpert: “The pumpkin painting challenge is one that all of us look forward to doing every year. Getting to see our teammates off the field talents during the competition is really exciting and it gives us all a really fun and unique competition between each other!”

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D – Trolls 🎃

Adison Campbell (UT, Sr.)
Maddison York (RHP/2B, Fr.)
Micah Felts (UT, Fr.)
Emma Bullin (RHP/3B, Soph.)
Bailee Worley (C/UT, Fr.)

Group Spokesman: Emma Bullin: “We wanted to come up with an idea that was fun and that would appeal to younger kids. We are all competitive so this is a fun way for us to have a competition between our team. We have so much fun painting pumpkins with our groups each year, this is such a fun Pfeiffer Softball Tradition.”

…. and here are the Individual Pumpkin Entries!