Five Catchers Controlling The Run Game

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Controlling the run game is paramount for any successful softball team. If an opponent is able to run wild on the bases, it impacts everyone's composure on the field, from the pitcher all the way to the outfielders. Luckily for a number of teams around the country, there are catchers shutting speedsters down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Below, Prep Softball highlights five catchers who control the run game from behind the plate and lead their teams in myriad ways on the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":108378,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Rylynn Klemz","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'6u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"20","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"North Newton","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"SOX Fastpitch 15U Urbanski","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68508ce3e7e03"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Rylynn Klemz simply does not make any mistakes on the softball field, at least when it comes to fielding. The Indiana native led all fielders in the state in overall fielding percentage with 382 putouts in 404 total chances, zero errors, and 22 assists. It was a historic season both for Klemz and the North Newton Spartans, who not only made it all the way to the 1A state championship for the first time, but also took home the title. In their final nine games of the high school season, the Spartans held all their opponents to an astounding zero runs. It helps when your hurler had a minuscule 0.35 ERA for the season, and also had the knowledge that if she did allow a runner on base, her catcher would shut her down anyway.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":108385,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Kylee Warehime","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"20","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Carolina Forest","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"LLG Elite 16U","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68508ce3e7e9e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Similar to her freshman counterpart up north in Indiana, Warehime led all fielders in South Carolina in fielding percentage with 283 putouts in 295 total chances, zero errors, and 12 assists. She played all 29 games for the Carolina Forest Panthers and was voted a Silver Slugger by her teammates. She was also a First-Team All-State selection, and was named Offensive Player of the Year in her region. Her steadiness behind the plate helped guide the Panthers to a solid finish down the stretch, in which they held their opponents to four runs or less in four of their final five games of the season. In fact, it was the lowest run total for a season given up by the Panthers overall in seven years. With Warehime behind the plate, expect both the offense and defense for the Panthers to firing on all cylinders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":108387,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Emmie Rice","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"20","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"South Laurel","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68508ce3e7f20"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Emmie Rice recently completed her sophomore season, and she is already the program's all-time leader in home runs for the South Laurel Cardinals with 15. But that is far from her only impressive quality on the softball field. In 44 games played over her first two seasons, she has yet to make an error as the team's backstop. She has 318 career putouts already with 13 assists, and 10 of them coming in her sophomore season. After playing in 16 games her freshman year, she played in 28 games this time around and increased her number of putouts by well over 100. With Rice behind the dish, the Cardinals only allowed 71 runs all season, their fewest total allowed in over 10 years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":108389,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Gracelynn Whitt","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"20","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"East Wilkes","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Nationals McDowell","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68508ce3e7f9c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">After playing in only one game her freshman season, Gracelynn Whitt became one of the leading faces of the East Wilkes Cardinals her sophomore season. The All-Conference performer and Conference Player of the Year finished ranked third among all players in overall field percentage in the state of North Carolina. She had zero errors, 212 putouts, and 12 assists for the season. After winning the state title last year, the Cardinals finished as runners up in the regional final this year. She is a perfect example of taking what you learned your freshman season and putting it on display for everyone to see the following year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":108391,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Kelly Cahill","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"20","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"IC Catholic Prep","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Heat Premier 08","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68508ce3e8013"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kelly Cahill has simply been a machine behind the plate for the IC Catholic Prep Knights. Her eye-popping stats include an astonishing 37 assists over two seasons, to go along with four double plays turned and 325 putouts. Perhaps most striking, after committing two errors her freshman season in 34 games played, which is still highly impressive, she committed no errors her sophomore season in 35 games played. She received Third-Team All-State honors for her performance on the field this season. It is clear that Cahill, since the first game of her freshman year, is making a large impact in Elmhurst, Illinois.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->