In the aftermath of Sparta’s 11-7 win against Springfield Catholic last Friday, Addie Humble was overcome by the fulfillment of her first District victory for the Lady Trojans as their starting pitcher.
“I might have been crying a little bit,” Humble said of her emotions during Sparta’s post-game huddle. “Winning my first post-season game and knowing my teammates have my back, it’s made me know I can do it and made me more confident.”
Humble, a junior, helped Sparta (17-7) knock off Class 2 District 5 No. 3 seed Catholic by holding the Lady Irish scoreless in three of the last four innings.
Most impressively, Humble was able to shake off a three-run home run by Catholic in the sixth.
“I'm very proud of Addie,” catcher Madeline Brown said. “She didn't let the girl getting a three-run home run change anything. She still got us outs.”
Humble is, admittedly, outwardly emotional. But she was determined not to let her emotions get the best of her.
“Before the game, I thought to myself, 'Leave it all out on the field and it doesn't matter what the outcome of the game is,’” Humble said. “Obviously, I wanted to win. But the most important thing to me was leaving it out there for my seniors. I love playing with them. I gave it my all and it worked in our favor.”
Over the course of this season, Humble has learned to stay composed during an opponent's rally.
“I try to stay under control,” she said. “I’ve had people say that they are proud of me for not letting the other dugout affect me.”
The timing of Humble assuming Sparta’s pitching duties and Jamie Holmes taking over as the Lady Trojans’ coach has worked out very well. Holmes is a former standout pitcher for Republic in the late 2000s.
“She has done a lot for me,” Humble said. “The thing I love most about her is she never quits encouraging us. No matter if I throw a bad pitch, she never quits coaching. When the girl hit the home run, she kept encouraging me and saying, 'One pitch at a time.’ She's there to back me up and she knows what she's doing. I fully trust her.”
