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Get on board with Extra Inning Softball’s regular feature, The Last Inning.
We are scouring the Internet and Social Media and keeping our ears to the street for the latest going on in the softball community.
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Here’s our TLI for Thursday, Mar. 5, 2020…
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GILMORE HAS BENTON HIGH ON THE RISE
Uncommitted 2022 1B Riley Gilmore believes this is the year for Benton High, AR, to make a run at the Arkansas Class 5A state championship.
Last season, the Panthers were young and talented and they reached the Class 5A semifinals. Benton, which has seven freshmen and sophomores on its starting lineup, is still young, but the Panthers gained valuable experience last season.
Gilmore, who will represent Ireland at the Triple Crown International Challenge June 27-27 in Colorado the week before the Sparkler/Fireworks showcase games, will be relied on with her big bat for the Panthers this season.
Let’s Take a look at “Happy” …
HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: RILEY GILMORE
Hometown: Benton, AR
High School: Benton High, AR
Club Team: Texas Blaze NTX Premier 16U
Graduation Year: 2022
Height: 5-foot-9
Position: 1B
Nickname: Riles, Gilmore or Happy
Twitter: @R_Gilmore46
High School Stats/Highlights: She batted .438 avg with .516 OBP, .637 SLG, 1.154 OPS and a .955 fielding percentage in 2019 as a freshman. She’s 5-for-5 with one home run, three doubles and a single so far as a sophomore.
Tell us about your high school team and what we should expect from your team this season?
My high school team is pretty young. Seven of the starting nine are sophomores and one freshmen, but I definitely expect to go far with them. Last year as freshmen all seven of us were on varsity and we came just one game short of the state championship. It really hurt. We believed we belonged there, but just came up short.
This year, all of us are like its not happening again and the way we have started in the first two games scoring 26 runs I think we all believe in each other and are more experienced I guess. We all get along really well. We have played with or against each other since we were 5 (years old), so we know each other really well and we all work super hard on and off the field. I absolutely expect to go far in the State Tournament this year and be in the championship game.
What have you learned about yourself in the past year?
I’ve learned that I can do anything as long as I put the work in and believe in myself. It’s one thing to cheer on your teammates, but I feel like it’s a lot harder to keep myself up or be my own cheerleader when I make an error at the plate or on the field. I guess I just hate losing and I used to feel like every mistake I made would cost us the game and just be really hard on myself. I have really learned within the past year how to let the past go and focus on the next play and keep moving forward and honestly it has really helped me play better.
What is something you have faced in your life that has helped you become the person that you are today?
I’ve had the luck of being on some good teams within my softball career. A thing I quickly learned was not everything would be given to me based on talent alone. I guess sometimes you need to push yourself and fail. By failing I have learned to pick myself up and try again and just never give up. There is always a way if you are willing to fight for it. Because of that, I developed a work ethic that I still follow. It’s something that I’ll always live by, even though not everyone gets it.
What’s something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I think people are surprised mostly by my music taste, or that I spend every waking moment doing something softball related. My music is really just old rock and metal bands my dad raised me on. My first concert was Metallica with my whole family and everyone thinks that’s crazy, but I love it. I honestly don’t know how I could play a game without listening to a Metallica song before we go out. My walk up song is “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” The best part is all the girls’ looks when they hear it. It’s priceless!!
Do you have a secret talent/skill?
I think one of my greatest talents would either be softball or being able to read a book in the car. Honestly, I love to draw and paint to calm down. It’s just fun and quiet thing to do when usually I am always going at practice or hitting in the cages. I also read typically three books at a time.
*** To read the rest of today’s The Last Inning, scroll down below…