By Anvil Welch

awelch@joplinglobe.com

Dustin Combs, softball coach at William Jewell College of Liberty, Mo., has been hitting this area hard in recruiting.

The Cardinals weren’t an overwhelming success this past spring but, considering their youth, you won’t find Combs complaining with the results.

“I’m very optimistic about the future,” Combs said on Tuesday. “I couldn’t have been happier with the performance of our first-year players.”

Combs, who will be entering his fourth season at William Jewell after seven at Springfield Glendale High School, said that freshmen Katie Darby of Joplin and Amanda Storm of Carl Junction turned in “impact seasons.”

Darby was named freshman of the year in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. The right-handed Storm was a pitching mainstay.

Joplin freshman Kelsey Loyd (pitcher), Miami freshman Emily Cline (outfielder) and Joplin sophomore Miranda Johnson (first baseman) also contributed to the William Jewell success.

Plus, hurler Jessi Alford, a transfer from Johnson County Community College and another former standout for Kirk Harryman at Joplin, wound up her career.

“Jessi had labrum surgery in the fall and rehabbed during the winter to earn another pitching opportunity (working 28 innings),” Combs said. “She battled arm problems during her college career.”

Darby averaged .405 on 53-of-131 to handily pace the team in average. She also paced the regulars with four home runs, 16 doubles, 31 RBI, .634 slugging percentage and .467 on-base percentage.

Storm, a second-team all-HAAC, posted a 12-11 record with a 3.46 ERA. She struck out 120 and walked 54 in a 1292/3 innings. She completed 14 games.

“Development of a riseball will make her better,” Combs said of Storm (who also hit .310 with 14 extra-base hits and 27 RBI).

“We would like to get Loyd’s bat into the lineup more,” Combs said. “She needs to keep a positive outlook and continue working on her skills.”

Loyd, 4-2 on the mound, was 3-for-6 at the plate.