That reflected in her video game stats for the year. In addition to pitching a county-high 110.2 innings, she had the least earned runs for any pitcher, including relievers, at 18. She also led the county in strikeouts with 229, more than 100 punchouts greater than Oak Mountain’s Marian Cummings in second, and resulting in 14.7 strikeouts per seven innings.
As a result, she had a county-low 1.14 ERA, the fourth-lowest WHIP at 1.03 and tied for the county wins lead with her 14-5 record. She gave up just 50 hits and 64 walks, and opposing batters went just .108 against her, also a county low.
“She pitched great all year,” Shelby County coach Ashley Phillips said of Richardson. “She had a lot of strikeouts, big outs when it had to happen, so she had a phenomenal year, no doubt.”
As with any seventh grader, there is plenty of room for improvement as she looks to be more consistent and expand her arsenal. However, most seventh graders don’t have this good of a foundation to build off of.
They certainly aren’t being named to the 5A All-State Second Team or All-County First Team. They don’t play this big of a role in Shelby County’s deepest regional run in multiple years. And they also aren’t Shelby County Pitcher of the Year.
Brooklyn Richardson is already all of these things. And if this is the start, buckle up for the finish in five short years.
Postseason awards are determined by a panel of myself, Daniel Locke, Dave Domescik and Tyler Raley, with first-place nominees receiving three votes, second-place two votes and third-place one vote. Read below for the results:
1. Brooklyn Richardson, Shelby County: 12 votes (4 first-place votes)
2. Lily Hensley, Helena: 5
T-3. Kadyn Bush and Autumn Ingle, Thompson and Marian Cummings, Oak Mountain: 2
6. Jaley Young, Spain Park: 1