FORT WHITE — Kadence Compton could’ve been the next batter.
If Gracie Clemons’ hit had gotten through the Jay infield, Compton could’ve driven in the go-ahead run. She could’ve shut down the Royals in the bottom of the inning and won her team’s first state championship in program history.
Instead of playing the role of savior, Compton got to — or rather had to — play the role of consoler. She was the first to pick up Clemons as she squatted on the first-base line, head in her hands, tears streaming down both girls’ faces after the Indians fell 6-5 in the Class 1A title game.
“I just made sure that she knew that it was OK,” Compton said of that moment. “It was not her fault. I just hugged her. It was just one play out of the game.”
Compton said the two-plus-hour drive home was mostly positive, with teammates picking each other up with positive reinforcement before nearly everyone fell asleep about 10 minutes down the road.
For her role in helping get her team that far in the first place, Compton racked up a pair of honors. The first came last week when Compton received 46 points in the voting for the Florida Dairy Farmer’s Class 1A Softball Player of the Year, good for a third-place finish among small-school ballplayers. The second comes today, as Compton has earned this year’s Lake City Reporter Softball Player of the Year award.
The case presents itself. She led her team to its first district and regional titles in program history on the strength of her 16-6 record in the circle while striking out 212 batters in 143 2/3 innings, allowing just 58 runs on 93 hits for a 1.66 ERA. The numbers get even more astonishing if you just take the postseason into consideration. From the district semifinal game against Lafayette through the state semifinal, Compton allowed just seven runs across those five games to give her team a shot at the state title, including shutouts against Branford and Union County while giving up a single run to Lafayette in their district and regional matchups.
“I think she got stronger as the year went on,” co-head coach Michele Padgett said of her ace. “She had a pretty consistent performance, but she kept making adjustments there at the end. But that’s what she does. During the game, she’s communicating the whole entire time to (co-head coach) Chad (Padgett) if something’s not working. People don’t really realize how much they’re talking back and forth.”
For as dominant as she was with the ball in her hands, Compton was just as solid at the plate. Compton led her team with a .388 batting average to go along with team-highs in hits (31), RBIs (18), home runs (4), doubles (6), slugging percentage (.637), and OPS (1.086).
A lot of her success can be attributed to consistency throughout the years, especially in coaching. Chad and Michele Padgett have known and taught Compton since she was about 10 years old when she was a member of a local youth team, the Crushers.
“They’ve taught me almost everything I know,” Compton said. “We’ve had a close bond since then, because he’s (Chad Padgett) been my pitching coach for a long, long time. He’s like a father figure to me.”
Even when they aren’t anywhere near each other, the Padgetts and Compton keep up with each other. During a recent weekend tournament with her travel ball team, the Texas Blaze, Compton called up Chad to ask for advice. Her pitches weren’t connecting with the spots she wanted to hit. Sight unseen, Chad asked Compton if she “stayed short” with her pitching motion, to which Compton said she didn’t think she was. The next day, Compton told Chad she pitched much better following the long-distance advice.
Compton has been trying to scratch that itch — getting a better grasp on her pitching and hitting mechanics — throughout her playing career. She wants that dedication to show when college softball programs start to take a closer look at the rising sophomore, particularly if national powerhouses Oklahoma or Florida have their eyes set on her.
It may prove to be a bit harder next season. While Fort White is only graduating a pair of seniors, one departure might affect her more than the other, with catcher Kaitlyn Suggs — who has caught the vast majority of pitches Compton has thrown at the school — being a huge hole to fill. Even still, Compton said she’s ready to approach that challenge like every other she’s faced so far: With a focused mindset and endless dedication to perfecting her craft.
“For someone that’s never really caught you before, they’re going to have to get used to your movement and the pitches that you throw and all that kind of stuff,” Compton said. “It’s gonna take maybe a season for it to get really together, but I think we can do it.”
ALL-AREA TEAM
P: Kadence Compton
Fort White, freshman
The LCR’s Softball Player of the Year was dominant in the circle, posting a 16-6 record and leading the area with 212 strikeouts in 143 2/3 innings and a 1.66 ERA to go with a .861 fielding percentage. She crushed the ball with her bat as well, hitting a team-best .388 with team-highs of 18 RBIs and four home runs to go with scored 15 runs and a .449 on-base percentage.
P: Karis Smith
Suwannee, senior
Led the area with a .472 batting average and an area-best .563 on-base percentage while scoring an area-best 26 runs to go with 15 RBIs, three home runs and 12 stolen bases. The Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College signee also struck out 148 batters in 117 2/3 innings and had a 2.74 ERA while going 9-12 as the Bulldogs ace.
C: Morgan Brennan
Branford, freshman
Led the Buccaneers with a .355 batting average and a perfect fielding percentage in 129 chances. She finished the season with 11 RBIs and 16 runs scored.
1B: Braylyn Federico
Suwannee, sophomore
Led the area with 23 RBIs, which included two home runs, while hitting .338 with 13 runs scored. She had a .432 on-base percentage and a .971 fielding percentage.
2B: Emma Rae Byers
Suwannee, senior
Scored 23 runs while hitting .360 with 17 RBIs. She had a .425 on-base percentage and posted a .911 fielding percentage.
SS: Ciara Byrd
Fort White, junior
Scored a team-high 20 runs with 17 RBIs and three home runs, making up for a .233 batting average with a .435 on-base percentage thanks to 15 walks and eight hit by pitches. She also stole 10 bases and had a .881 fielding percentage.
3B: Madyson Sikes
Branford, freshman
Led the area with five home runs and had 20 RBIs, hitting .318 while scoring a team-high 22 runs. She had a .366 on-base percentage and a .822 fielding percentage.
OF: Gracie Clemons
Fort White, sophomore
Hit .385 with 17 runs scored and eight RBIs. She had a .446 on-base percentage and a perfect fielding percentage in 25 chances.
OF: Sakiya Merriex
Columbia, freshman
Led the Tigers with 21 runs scored and 10 stolen bases, hitting .327 with eight RBIs. She had a .527 on-base percentage thanks to 22 walks and a .857 fielding percentage.
OF: Evie Pitts
Branford, senior
Led the area with 15 stolen bases and led the Buccaneers with 21 RBIs while hitting .328 and smacking three home runs. The Valdosta State signee scored 17 runs, had a .431 on-base percentage and a .933 fielding percentage.
DP: Madison Brown
Fort White, junior
Hit .345 with 14 RBIs and 13 runs scored while playing first base for the Indians. She had a .385 on-base percentage and a .854 fielding percentage.
UTIL: McKenna O’Sullivan
Columbia, freshman
Hit a whopping .418 to lead the Tigers offensively, finishing the year with 14 RBIs and 10 runs scored. She had a .562 on-base percentage and an .864 fielding percentage.
UTIL: Zoie Hatch
Suwannee, junior
Hit .324 with 21 RBIs, two home runs and 17 runs scored while playing shortstop and third base. She had a .400 on-base percentage and an .804 fielding percentage.
COACHES OF THE YEAR
Michele & Chad Padgett, Fort White
The co-head coaches led the Indians to their best season in program history. The Indians finished with a 16-8 record, winning their first district title in program history and first regional title in program history. Behind District 6-1A and Region 3-1A crowns, Fort White beat Dixie County 7-5 in the state semis before coming up just short against Jay in the Class 1A state championship, falling 6-5.