Clarksville's Madisen Blackwell is 2018 Leaf-Chronicle All Area softball player of year

Clarksville High went through its share of heartache a month ago.

The Lady Wildcats' last three games ended in disappointing losses to Henry County (twice) and then to Beech in the Region 5-AAA tournament opener.

But they also had their share of joy during the 2018 softball season, and leading the way was pitcher and infielder Madisen Blackwell.

Blackwell was a cornerstone for Clarksville High's 25-7 finish that included a District 10-AAA regular-season title and the top seed in the district tournament. She was the district MVP and may have been the district's top pitcher.

And she has been named The Leaf-Chronicle All Area softball player of the year.

"I felt like the chemistry was there all year," Blackwell said. "We played well with each other and we knew we would need to lean on each other. I know I'm not successful without my teammates who backed me up."

Blackwell had a 16-4 record with a 1.48 ERA and 98 strikeouts. She also batted in the No. 4 spot and had a .444 batting average with 44 hits, five home runs and 39 RBIs.

"I knew I'd be pitching a lot this year," the sophomore said. "I didn't pitch much last year because we had two or three stud pitchers, but I knew my time was coming."

Blackwell spent the offseason working on her mechanics, including keeping her chin down and keeping her glove arm close to her body.

"That helped me with my accuracy and speed," she said. "I put in a lot of work. I worked on that stuff every day because I knew the team would count on me more."

Clarksville started the season with a 4-3 record then reeled off 16 wins in 17 games that essentially put it in the driver's seat for the remainder of the regular season.

Yet the end of the season left something to be desired.

"You can always get better," Blackwell said. "That's our goal. We're going to get better and be back and hopefully we can change the story at the end of next season."

SOFTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR

Delissa Roby

Houston County

Why chosen: Roby led Houston County to 23-7-1 record and a District 9-A tournament championship with a team that had only one senior. The Lady Irish also captured the Region 5-A tournament title and knocked off Loretto to make its first Class A state tournament appearance since 2011. Houston County finished 1-2 at state.

Reach Prep writer George Robinson at georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com or (931) 245-0747 and on Twitter @Cville_Sports.