Wilson Hall's Skey dominates in circle on way to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

Wilson Hall freshman Marsha Kate Skey is on a mission this season.

The standout pitcher and infielder helped lead the Lady Barons to the SCISA 4A state championship series against their rivals from Laurence Manning last spring but was less than thrilled with the final result as the Lady 'Cats claimed their second consecutive title. She put in the work this offseason to take her game to the next level and, through the first week of the season, the results are paying off.

Skey had an electric start to the season, tossing a no-hitter against Westside in the Pee Dee Pitch Off, while pitching another gem in a 2-1 win over SCHSL 5A No. 3-ranked Lady Gamecocks from Sumter High. Add in a week when she hit .375 at the dish, and you've got the recipe for the Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week.

"I love it," Skey said of the support she received from the Baron community on her way to the honor. "I know that everybody is always behind us, cheering us on to get better every day, coming to all of our games, especially during the state championship, having a strong student section behind us. It helps a lot."

Wilson Hall head coach Teresa Alexander has been so proud of the poise and tenacity Skey has shown early in her freshman season.

"I think the most exciting part about that accomplishment was looking at the quality of opponents," Alexander said of Skey allowing just one total run against Westside, SCHSL 1A defending state champion Latta and Sumter High during the Pee Dee Pitch Off. "I watched Westside play right before we played them, and I was thinking, 'My goodness, these girls can hit.' So, I was prepared for a lot of balls to be put in play and for our defense to be worked. In all honesty, our defense was solid behind Marsha Kate, but she took care of most of it on her own with the amount of strikeouts she was able to get.

"The way she commands herself in the circle, she is very mature. You sometimes forget she's just in the ninth grade. The skill and talent she's showing at such a young age is, obviously, very exciting, but the thing people may not know is all the things she's doing behind the scenes. Marsha Kate did not like how last season ended. She took it very personally, and it motivated her to put in an enormous amount of time. She's on a mission right now, and it's kinda fun to watch."

Skey pitched in all three of Wilson Hall's wins in the Pee Dee Pitch Off and was completely untouchable on the first day of the tournament. She pitched two innings in their 4-2 win over Latta, the No. 1 team in SCHSL 1A. She didn't allow a hit, walking one while striking out three. Then came her masterpiece against Westside.

"Last year really showed me and our whole team that we could be really good and take anybody we play if we work hard," Skey said of her mindset entering the season last week. "We just started out working hard and took it from there."

The irony of Skey's no-hitter against Westside is the fact that she lost her perfect game on the first batter of the night. Westside's leadoff hitter, Madison Gray, reached on an error to open the game before Skey mowed down the rest of the lineup.

"It was kinda nerve-wracking. Nobody wanted to say anything, including me. That always messes me up and makes me nervous," Skey said of watching inning after inning pass without allowing a hit. "I just took it pitch by pitch."

The freshman finished with 10 strikeouts in five innings of work, needing just 56 innings to make her way through the Rams' lineup. While she didn't keep her defense very busy, Skey credits her teammates for helping her deliver an electric performance.

"The ball did feel good coming out of my hand, but everyone has been encouraging. That's how we help each other the most," she said, "when we're encouraging each other."

Skey then pitched a gem in Wilson Hall's 2-1 win over Sumter High, a lineup which is filled with familiar faces. Skey and SHS pitcher Lillie Ivey played American Legion together for the Sumter Lady Legends this summer and traded strong performances on Saturday. Ivey allowed two runs on six hits, while Skey held the No. 3 team in SCHSL 5A DI to one run on five hits, punching out seven batters.

"It does add a little bit of pressure when we know the other people because we don't want to give them anything above us, but we just worked hard and encouraged each other to keep going," Skey said. "Not taking it too seriously, but also not joking around too much because we have to get it done."

While Skey was nearly untouchable in the circle, she was no slouch at the plate. The freshman hit .375 while walking three times across their full week of games, which included blowout wins over Clarendon Hall and Hammond before playing five games in the Pee Dee Pitch Off. Skey drove in five runs and scored eight times.

"She's a solid hitter, that's for sure. She hits the ball very hard, fights hard in the box when she's down in the count," Alexander said. "She has a lot of pop on her bat. That's another thing that's fun about her game; she wants to contribute on both sides, and she looks to figure out how to contribute on both sides. And even defensively, if she's not pitching, she's a very good infielder, as well. She brings all the pieces to help in a game."

Now, Skey and the Lady Barons just want to keep the good times rolling as they begin their quest to get back to the SCISA 4A state championship series.

"We just have to keep pushing each other to work hard," Skey said. "Just to know we have each other when any of us get tired is a good feeling."

Alexander expects Skey to continue to build on this excellent start. One of the reasons she is so confident is because of their depth in the circle, as Skey and Lilly Grace Przybyla form an incredible dynamic duo with a few arms to back them up. Because Skey doesn't have the weight of the entire team on her shoulders, Alexander thinks she'll be able to ride this early momentum.

"One thing that we're so very fortunate with is that she's surrounded by other good pitchers. She obviously had a great showing this weekend, but so did our other girls in the circle," Alexander said. "She knows that it's not all falling on her. We all know that pitchers sometimes have an off day, and if she's having an off day, she knows she has support and encouragement from other people who can get in that circle and do a good job, as well.

"We have a pitching staff, so it gives her that balance where she can give it her best when it's her turn, but she also knows there are other people that can provide great pitching when our team needs it. We're just making sure she keeps staying hungry and the girls around her can feed off the energy that she's already bringing."