MISENHEIMER, N.C. — Just like she had a breakout senior season with the Lady Raiders last spring, current Pfeiffer University freshman Taylor Parrish hasn’t lost a step.
Announced on Monday, Parrish was named the USA South Conference’s “Rookie Pitcher of the Week” following two outings and earning her first collegiate win. She joins fellow Richmond County native Jenna Greene (Presbyerian College) to earn an accolade during her freshman season.
“Coach (Monte) Sherrill sent me a text and said ‘congrats’ and I wasn’t sure what it was,” explained Parrish. “But I was very surprised and excited. I had some good outings against Guilford.
“I’ve transitioned well to college softball because I’ve gotten comfortable at Pfeiffer,” she added. “I’ve made strong connections with my coaches and teammates, and I feel that level of comfort when I’m playing.”
The right-hander stepped into the circle in both of the Falcons’ games against visiting Guilford College in Pfeiffer’s home opener on Saturday. Pfeiffer would sweep the Quakers, taking game one 5-3 before ending the doubleheader with a 4-2 victory.
Parrish played a crucial role in the first game, coming in a recording her first career save. She relieved teammate Caiti Mickels with two outs in the top of the fifth inning and got out of a jam with a ground ball out to third.
Tossing 2.2 innings of relief, Parrish allowed one earned run on three hits, closing the door on Quaker. She picked up two strikeouts during the outing, including a game-ending swinging K against Casey Bunting.
Parrish’s biggest contributions came in game two, as she earned the win after facing 20 batters in 5.2 innings. She gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and added four more punchouts to her tally.
After giving up two runs in the first two innings, one of which was unearned, Parrish got some help from the Falcons’ bats. Pfeiffer plated a run in the fourth and tacked on two runs in the fifth to set Parrish up for the win.
Her four strikeouts brought her season total to 14 Ks, which leads Pfeiffer (3-1). Parrish also leads the team in innings pitched (15.1), earned run average (0.46) and has given up just one earned run, tied with teammate Ashlyn Kennedy for the team-low.
“Getting my first win was very exciting,” Parrish said. “I was a little nervous going into the game because Guilford is a good team. But we got the win and a weight was lifted off my shoulders.
“I’m focusing on hitting my spots and getting outs when I’m in the circle,” she continued. “I want to get in so we can score runs. I also try to pitch with confidence and be mentally tougher than the batter.”
Parrish added that “it feels amazing to finally get to pitch at the college level.”
During her three-year varsity career at Richmond, which spanned 68 games, she pitched just 10 innings and won her only start against rival Scotland last year, while also collecting 12 strikeouts.
Known more for her bat, which saw her named to the North Carolina Softball Coaches Association All-State team last spring, Parrish had a .400 career batting average and belted 17 career home runs and recorded 85 RBI.
But pitching at the college level has always been her dream, so she spent the last four years working on that goal with pitching coach Jim Christian. Developing her repertoire, Parrish said her riseball, dropball and curveball have been most effective this season.
She added that since getting to college, Sherrill and Christian have “reconstructed” her pitching motion to benefit her success.
“Coach Sherrill is awesome, he pushes me to do my best,” Parrish, a nursing major, said. “And Jim Christian has also been a big help.”
One of the cooler moments for Parrish during her young softball career was traveling to the University of Tennessee in September for a scrimmage against the Volunteers. She noted it was “a great experience to play and pitch against a big D-I program to prepare for the spring season.”
As the Falcons continue their quest to win a third consecutive Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III championship, which Parrish said is the team’s overall goal, she added that she also wants to continue to work hard in practice and see her teammates be successful during each game.
Parrish and Pfeiffer will continue play on Saturday when they travel to Agnes Scott College (Decatur, Ga.) for a doubleheader.
