Kiara Conner admits she was nervous.
Typically, the pitcher is the one who is uneasy when Conner is in the batter’s box. This time, though, Conner wasn’t playing in a game. In fact, her softball career at Columbus High School already was over and she was trying to find a place to continue playing a sport she started when she was 4 or 5 years old. That’s why Conner was positioned next to a batting tee and prepared to impress East Mississippi Community College coach Kyndall White.
It took Conner one swing to make the one-on-one-tryout last week in Scooba pay off.
“I hit my first pitch and she was like, ‘You’re on the team,’ ” Conner said. “I was real happy. … That made me feel real welcome.”
On Wednesday, Conner made it official when she signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball at EMCC. The signing ceremony celebrated a softball career that started with Tee Ball in Propst Park in Columbus, moved to slow-pitch softball, and turned toward fast-pitch softball as Conner moved into high school and realized an opportunity to showcase her athleticism.
Conner said she first realized she could have a chance to play softball in college when she started in seventh grade for the Columbus High slow-pitch softball team. She didn’t start immediately for the school’s fast-pitch team, but she quickly earned a spot on the team.
Eric Thornton has coached Kiara Conner the last four seasons in slow-pitch softball and for three seasons in fast-pitch softball. He said Conner’s athleticism always gave her the potential to play softball in college. Thornton said Conner has worked hard to improve and has learned more about the game to realize the opportunity to continue her career.
“Kiara is very gifted in a lot of ways,” Thornton said. “She had to make some adjustments from slow pitch to fast pitch. She always has been really into slow pitch in the park league and at the school. She had to make adjustments and as a whole the softball team started to buy into some of the things and started to realize that our athleticism translates to the fast-pitch game.”
Thornton said Conner stole more than 20 bases, had two inside-the-park home runs, and hit better than .550 in her senior fast-pitch season. He said Conner also was willing to help the team on defense by moving from her usual position in center field to catcher when needed.
“I think she will do well at EMCC,” Thornton said. “She is a natural hitter. In a lot of ways she always has been a step above everybody in terms of her athleticism. That playing field levels out when you get to the next level. She will be challenged and pushed a lot harder from the standpoint that somebody else is going to be beside her that is just as good or better. I think that is going to be an adjustment for her, but I think she will do a good job. She is competitive. She wants to have contests and beat everybody in everything.”
Conner said her mother, Calandra Lashley, contacted White in an effort to get Kiara a tryout at EMCC. Kiara said she attended tryouts at Northeast Mississippi C.C. and Itawamba C.C. but didn’t hear back from the coaches even after she thought she did well. She said was excited to hear back from White because EMCC was the top school on her wish list.
“I have worked hard since the seventh grade, and I know it is an honor to play for EMCC and to be on the field,” Conner said.
In the fall, Conner earned Most Valuable Player honors for the Class 4/5/6A North Team at the All-Star Slow-Pitch Softball games at Newton County High’s Mack Fanning Field in Decatur. Conner went 5-for-7 with two singles, two doubles, a home run, six RBIs, and four runs in the All-Star games. The performance capped a season in which Conner hit .655 and had 17 home runs.
Conner, who also played on the school’s girls soccer and track and field teams, is the sister of Columbus High football player Kendre Conner. Another brother, Kendrick, also played football at Columbus High. Kendre will play football at EMCC.
Last week, Columbus High’s Kanisha Hodges signed a NLI to play softball at Coahoma C.C. in Clarksdale.
Like Hodges, Conner has developed as a fast-pitch player as the sport has grown in popularity in the state of Mississippi. She said she knows she have to raise her game when she goes to EMCC, but she said she is anxious to take on that challenge.
“I know I am a good hitter and a good catcher and a good runner,” said Conner, who hopes to continue her career at a four-year school. “I know I deserve it. At first, I was scared I wasn’t going to get a scholarship or go anywhere (to play softball). When I got this opportunity, I knew I had to go out there and do my best, so I practiced and practiced.
“It is surprising. It was the last minute. I was thinking it wasn’t going to happen. When the coach replied to my momma, I was real happy because I knew I was going to school with my brother.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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