After three strong seasons from the pitcher’s circle — and with one more still to come — Patton softball senior Marleigh Carswell now knows her playing career will extend beyond the high school level.
The Lady Panthers’ standout hurler made things official with Montreat College, signing to join the Cavaliers on Wednesday.
As a junior at Patton, Carswell posted a 3.26 ERA across 135 1/3 innings of work with 142 strikeouts, 21 walks, 63 earned runs, 162 hits, no triples or doubles and 12 home runs. She also hit a team-best .397 with 24 RBIs, 10 doubles, two home runs and 10 runs scored.
In her sophomore season, Carswell’s ERA was 2.49 across 140 1/3 innings with 122 strikeouts, 24 walks, 50 earned runs, 164 hits, no triples or doubles and six home runs. She hit .361 with 20 RBIs, 11 doubles, three home runs and 19 runs scored.
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And during her freshman campaign, Carswell had an ERA of 3.76 across 117 innings with 65 strikeouts, eight walks, 44 earned runs, 117 hits, no triples or doubles and seven home runs. She hit .111 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Montreat felt like home
Carswell said there is a lot to like about the school and softball program in the mountains.
“I love the community up there,†Carswell said. “Everybody up there was very nice. I got to practice with the team. Everybody included me. I felt very at home. The classrooms are very nice. The campus is beautiful. Just the community up there — everybody is sweet. They’re good people.â€
In addition to her pitching prowess, Carswell will play at second base some for the Cavaliers.
“I think it’s going to be good,†Carswell said. “I think everybody there is willing to make me feel welcome. I think everybody’s good with switching it up a bit. I think that’s a lot of what they do there. I’m excited to see how it’s going to go.â€
While her high school statistics suggest she is poised for more success with Montreat, Carswell knows she’ll have to do her part to make that happen.
“I just need to keep working,†Carswell said. “Don’t get lazy. Just keep putting in the work. Just keep showing up.â€
So, how long has Carswell known she wanted to play college softball?
“I would say since I was little when I would watch girls on TV pitching,†Carswell said. “I’ve always loved it. That’s been my passion and what I’ve wanted to do.â€
Senior season ahead
Before that happens, however, Carswell will have one more chance to make some noise with the Lady Panthers this spring.
“I’m really looking forward to it,†Carswell said. “I can’t wait to start the season with a new team and new freshmen. Everybody’s really cool. I’m excited to, hopefully, break more records this year and, hopefully, get my batting average up a bit.â€
Regardless of what happens during her senior season, Carswell already has some treasured memories from her time with the Patton program.
“It’s got to be the bus rides and the lock-in we had a couple years ago,†Carswell said. “That was a really good team-bonding memory. It was just a good day.â€
Carswell, who plans to major in physical education at Montreat, made sure to thank some important people for their support along the way.
“I would like to thank my family — my mom, my dad and grandparents — and my friends for supporting me,†Carswell said. “I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to play with no injuries. I’m just thankful to everybody who’s supported me.â€
