In 2024, the Highline girls’ softball team finished runner-up in Kingco, earning a placement in the top eight heading into districts for the first time in years. Senior Sheridan Hammons played a major role in the team’s success, and that is putting it lightly.
Hammons was a staple in the Pirates lineup, and Highline relied heavily on her arm to lead the team to victory time and time again. “I pitched probably 90% of the innings if I had to take a wild guess,” Hammons said. To go even further, Hammons pitched every inning for the Pirates throughout the Kingco and district playoffs.
However, the two-time team captain does not want to take all the credit. “We did great this year, considering how many freshmen came in and really stepped up,” Hammons said. “For the freshman to hit like they did this year, we had one of the highest team batting averages. It was really cool!”
In Hammons’ playing career at Highline, Sammamish had dominated the conference. In her sophomore and junior seasons, Highline placed second in Kingco to Sammamish and lost in the championship by a healthy margin both times.
This year was different. In her favorite game of the season, Highline topped Sammamish 14-6 in their first meeting during the regular season. Even two lightning delays could not stop Highline from finishing the job and taking down their rival. They lost in the second meeting, setting the stage for a rubber match in the Kingco championship game. After Hammons pitched all eight innings in the semifinal extra-inning victory, she toed the rubber to take down the juggernaut. This was a much different game than the two years past.
In a nail-biter, Sammamish edged Highline by a final score of 11-10. Although they could not take down Sammamish, this was a vastly improved Highline team, and they earned the eighth seed in the district tournament, the first time Highline placed in the top eight in Hammons’ time as a Pirate.
Coming off her most successful high school season, both personally and as a team, Hammons will play for the select team Washington Fastpitch Academy 18U this summer before suiting up for the Centralia College softball team next season. Between the new dorms, the impressive softball facility, and the short, treasured time spent with head coach Kevin Slorey, Hammons ultimately chose to play at Centralia among multiple schools wanting her talents on their team.
Hammons said she is Centralia’s main pitching recruit, but she wants to be a complete player at the college level. “People have told me the hardest transition (from high school to college) is getting hits,” Hammons said. “The pitchers throw faster, and you’re under a lot more pressure to get hits, so I just want to be a strong hitter.” But Hammons still thrives off being the one on the mound and being in control. “I like pitching because I always have the ball, and it’s my game. It’s me versus you.”
The Highline softball team will certainly miss Hammons’ contributions next season, but the program seems to be moving in the right direction. Heading into the summer season with most of the summer ball squad having completed the recruiting process, Hammons is looking forward to her last select season before going to the next level. “My team is taking it a little bit more relaxed this year; just go out there and play hard,” Hammons said. “We’re just out there to have fun now.”
