The final piece of the puzzle
YAMHILL – Longtime Yamhill-Carlton softball coach John Kuehnel felt confident he’d command a state contender this season.
The program would return several key contributors from 2021’s 14-win squad, including senior starting pitcher and shortstop Kati Slater, junior catcher’s Kya Ellis and Dorothy Adair, junior first baseman and pitcher Briley Ingram, senior outfielder Roxy Brown and junior outfielder Alyse Hurley.
The 3A classification also appeared ready for a new pack leader after Clatskanie’s three-year reign concluded with a senior-led title in 2021. Y-C’s path to the top would receive challenges from PacWest Conference foes like Dayton and Scio, but the Tigers won five of six matchups against them last season.
With a wealth of returning talent and a path to the title clear, Kuehnel was optimistic.
Lexiss Antle’s transfer solidified Y-C’s status as a bonafide championship threat.
“It’s a huge difference,” noted Kuehnel. “She’s a huge contributor with her leadership and work ethic. Lexiss is probably the difference between us going all the way and not going all the way.”
Antle grew up in the Y-C community, and has played softball for the past 10 years. As a freshman, she was set to play for the varsity team in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic erased the spring sports season.
For the past two seasons, Lexiss “did some moving around”, but her family returned to Yamhill when COVID restrictions eased earlier this year.
“At the end of COVID, I decided to come back,” said Antle. “I’m happy to be here!”
Because of her history with the community, Antle said her transition back to the school went smoothly, noting, “I’ve known a lot of these girls since I was little, so I think coming onto this team wasn’t a challenge. It’s hard for a lot of teams to bond like we have, and I think that’s what makes us great.”
When asked about Antle’s addition to the roster, Adair said, “Lexiss is great – she’s a great asset to the team. Adding her to the team this year has really helped our lineup.”
Adair commended Antle for her combination of fun-loving personality with a hard-working mentality. “We want to make sure we’re all getting along, and Lexiss helps with that,” she observed.
In Kuehnel’s lineup, Antle bats second behind Slater, the team’s speedy leadoff hitter. The newcomer’s gap-to-gap power often results in early run-scoring opportunities for the Tigers. Antle currently leads the team in batting average, regularly pacing the team with two and three hits per game.
“With a combination of her and Kati at the top, we’re almost always counting on one of those two to get on,” said Kuehnel.
Antle credited the Y-C coaching for her surge in hitting, thanking Kuehnel for helping her refine her swing.
While she hasn’t blasted a home run yet, Antle’s hit the top of the wall on multiple occasions.
“I’ve got great aim! That’s my habit, hitting it right on top!” laughed Antle.
Antle and the Tigers recently won their 17th consecutive game, defeating Amity at home Tuesday, 14-0. Y-C’s fearsome lineup smacked 13 hits, including two each by the order’s initial four hitters – Slater (2-3), Antle (2-4), Maddy Tuning (2-2) and Ingram (2-3).
Following Tuesday’s win over Amity, Kuehnel expressed his gratitude for the team’s second baseman. He reflected on the moment she decided to return to Y-C, saying, “I wasn’t just pleasantly surprised, I was ecstatic! I think she’s having a lot of fun and I hope she’s here next year.”
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