When Howell softball senior Leighton Scott came to the plate, chances were the ball was going to be hit into play, often for extra bases.
Scott managed to put up power-hitting numbers without adding a negative number that often goes along with swinging aggressively.
She struck out only six times in 120 at-bats and 134 plate appearances, going her final 28 at-bats without striking out.
Among Livingston County players, only three others had single-digit strikeouts while making at least 50 at-bats. Scott’s rate of one strikeout per 20 at-bats was the best in that group.
Her ability to do damage nearly every time she came to the plate made Scott the only first-team all-stater in Livingston County this spring, and Howell’s first since Maddie Gillett and Avrey Wolverton were selected in 2021. Scott was selected at first base in Division 1.
RELATED: Dream Team pick from Howell is among Livingston County’s three all-state baseball players
“Just the will to compete,” Howell coach Lauren Evans said. “She was a competitor at practice, was a competitor in games. We lost Alli (Ulanowski) for a minute there and had some tough games where our team was down in the dumps. Leighton and Kate Anderson both just competed for us.
“She’s just a professional hitter. She wants to get on base. She takes on everything we talk about in practice when it comes to waiting for your pitch, knowing what to drive. She absorbs it all like a sponge because she wants to do it for her team.”
Scott ranked second in the county with nine home runs and a .458 batting average, led the county with 17 doubles and four triples, and was second with 45 runs batted in.
She will continue her career at Northwestern Ohio.
Hartland senior shortstop Reese Dunny received honorable mention in Division 1.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Howell softball’s Leighton Scott makes first-team all-state
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Bill Khan, Livingston Daily | USA TODAY Network
