SHEPHERD — The Shepherd softball team was utterly dominant last season, racking up a 24-0 record on the way to the Class B state title.
The Fillies didn’t graduate a single senior off that team, but they know nothing will be handed to them.
“What happened last year, that's over and done with. It's a new year and we're a new team. We have to build up that skill again to get that same goal," catcher Karli Goodell said. "What happened last year doesn't have any effect on this year and we're just going for that state championship again."
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“Everybody is looking at us, so that puts a little bit more outside pressure, so just trying to keep the girls to control the controllables and we do us," head coach Lori Goodell said. "In the end it all shakes out."
There will be one hole in the Shepherd lineup, as senior Breelyn Fulton suffered a season-ending knee injury during basketball.
“Just being able to step on the field is a privilege and to go 100%, because you never know when it's going to be your last and just playing for that," Lori Goodell said. "That's going to be a huge hole for us to fill, and that's what we're working on right now. Who is going to step up and fill that offensive role and defensive role for us?"
The Fillies will be anchored by one of the best pitching staffs in the state, regardless of class, as sisters Krista and Charity Dunn have proven capable of shutting teams down for an entire weekend.
“A huge testament to our pitchers. They trust when I'm calling pitches and they trust their catcher. There's a lot of trust in their defense and being able to execute those plays," Lori Goodell said.
"I definitely love having (Karli) as a catcher, because I trust her to catch it even if I miss my spot," said Charity Dunn. "She's calm back there, which is definitely nice, because it's steadying."
The Fillies get their season started next Tuesday against Billings Senior’s JV.
