After a successful final season with the Pace High School softball team, Payton Carpenter decided to take her softball talents to Gulf Coast State College in Panama City.
Carpenter brought a tough mentality in her final year as a Lady Patriot, especially coming off a shortened junior year due to shoulder surgery.
“My dad has always told me ‘don’t walk off the field saying I could have done more,’ so that has been my mentality for every game,” Carpenter said. “When I get in the pitching circle that has always been my mentality.”
PHS Softball Coach Amy Wolfenden, who has watched Carpenter mature in the game over the year, said the senior pitcher is leaving a void on the team for next season.
“My children, being so much younger, have watched her and her career…she has always been such a great mentor and a leader for them,” Wolfenden said. “That is just the kind of person she is, she takes all of the other players under her wing.”
Carpenter said serving in the leadership role was in the best interest of the team.
“They are the future of our program, I love the program and I want what is best for the program,” she said. “Winning is awesome, but making a difference in some of younger players in one of my main goals.”
In addition to showing her skills on the pitching mound, Wolfenden said Carpenter was very effective at bat.
Carpenter had 10 home runs and 54 RBI’s at the end of this season,” she said. “She was big in run production and run stopper that was her role.”
Wolfenden said Carpenter served as a “general” on the team always putting her teammates first.
“We kind of leaned on her to get everything started,” Wolfenden said. “You have seniors who chase strike out records and (wanting) to be the leader statistically, she never did that.”
Carpenter looks to bring her softball talents and leadership abilities to GCSC.
“To have a good time you need some humor and some confidence on the field and I think I can bring that to Gulf Coast,” Carpenter said.
As the for the future, Carpenter hopes to one day play softball for Florida State University. Outside of softball, Carpenter is interested in pursuing a career as a midwife.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Softball: PaceÂ’s Carpenter to play for Gulf Coast State College