From 2011 to 2018 Ozark softball won seven district titles, including a second place finish at the state tournament in 2012. So it may be surprising that with her 62 RBIs last season outfielder Audrey Carlton drove in more runs in one year than any Tiger before her. It certainly surprised Audrey. “I actually didn’t know about that until the end of the season,” said Carlton, a senior on the team. “I’m not focused on stats. But it was a nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Last year, when she wasn’t making great plays in center field, Audrey was busy breaking the Tigers’ career mark for RBIs too. And she’s still adding to that total. She credits fellow senior all-state selection, catcher Natalie Morgan, and the rest of her teammates for setting her up for success. “I think her [Natalie], Kelsie, and Addison, everyone in front of me, they get all the credit because they had to hit first to get on base for me to get an RBI,” Audrey said.

As the backstop, Natalie plays a key role in helping her pitchers. Whether she’s protecting the base paths, or knowing just what to say on the mound. “She’ll even call time and go talk to them if she needs to,” Audrey said. “She’s very encouraging. She’ll never get down. And that’s really encouraging for the rest of us.”

Natalie says Audrey will make a great occupational therapist someday. “She probably knew in kindergarten what she wanted to be,” said Natalie, with a laugh.

And Audrey admires Natalie’s creative talents. “She’s very artistic,” Audrey said. “She’s created a scrapbook that has a bunch of senior memories.”

Together they’re both batting close to .500 and make up the heart of a lineup that’s sure to be a threat to return Ozark to its district champion status. “I just want to win for all the girls,” Natalie said. “It’s a special time for all of us. We have such a close bond. And winning that with all my girls would be the best time.” Click here to read full article

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