By Mark Heim
Vic Moten didn’t hesitate. She said she would definitely strike out.
That statement doesn’t seem to compute. The Daphne junior softball player is hitting .459 for the fifth-ranked Class 7A Trojans (30-1), winners of 28 straight.
Striking out isn’t what the Alabama commit does.
However, in this hypothetical softball scenario, Moten the hitter is facing Moten the pitcher. As good as she is at the plate, the right-hander is even better in the circle.
For that reason, Moten has been named WNSP’s Athlete of the Week and joined “The Opening Kickoff” on Friday morning at Daphne High School during the latest broadcast of the Road to the Alabama High School State Championships series.
Moten (21-0) is carving up opponents. In 102 innings pitched, she’s allowed just 18 hits and four runs – two earned – while striking out 238 for a .137 ERA. That’s an average of 2.5 strikeouts an inning.
“Vic is absolutely invaluable to our team,” Daphne coach Jenny Laird said. “She is our ace in the circle and an integral part of our batting lineup as well. We know that when she’s in the circle, she’s gonna give us a great shot to get the win regardless of who is in the other dugout.
“She’s a fierce competitor, a real student of the game and a great teammate.”
The Trojans haven’t lost since the second day of the season, outscoring opponents 245-19.
Moten, to her credit, praises her team and those that paved the way the year before.
“We’re a real young team,” she said. “We lock in by being silly and getting our energy up. Last year, it was a senior-led team. They were more mature and strict on us.
“We’re getting along as a team, and we all have the same goal, winning a Blue Map.”
The Trojans will host the Area 2 Tournament on Monday with two teams advancing to the Regional Tournament on May 6 in Montgomery.
There is still work to be done, though. Daphne plays in the Gulf Shores tournament this weekend before traveling to Satsuma on Monday.
The Trojans end the regular season on Tuesday against Faith Academy.
You can listen to our full interview with Vic Moten right here and get all of our on-air content at WNSP Now wherever you get your podcasts:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1lUa8JrDxaD6Wd8bboJ0ZY?si=UUPfDMMAQmKAc5wJxpSeLA
