Four Lady Patriots sign scholarships

Four Marshall Academy senior fastpitch softball players signed with four different junior colleges November 13.

Anna Lauren Bain is going to East Mississippi Community College, Kylie Gurley to Northwest Community College, Rayne Rippee to Itawamba Community College and Tyler Vannucci to Mississippi Delta Community College.

“It’s a proud day to be a coach and a proud day to be a Patriot,” said Carlton Gibson, longtime head softball coach at MA.

“This all starts when you’re 7 and 8 years old with dads throwing to their kids, and then later on you let them do their thing on the field.”

Bain, Gurley, Rippee and Vannucci helped lead the Lady Patriots to a 3011 record and state runners-up finish this past season.

“To see these kids mature has been very rewarding,” Gibson said. He said junior college softball in Mississippi is very competitive, and the young ladies will need to make a “huge, huge commitment.” “It won’t be easy,” Gibson said. “If you think we were hard on you, it’s about to really get hard.” And he said all four can continue playing after junior college.

“They can get to the next level,” Gibson said. “They have that ability.” Tony Banks, head of school at Marshall, and Bruce Branch, athletic director, also offered their congratulations to the senior softball players.

“We’re proud of you,” Banks said. “All of you have represented our school well.” Family, teammates, friends and members of the MA student body were also on hand for the signing ceremony.

For more photos from the big signing day at Marshall Academy, see page 3.