Semoball

Chaffee freshman hurler Van Pelt has given the Devils a boost

Chaffee's Reese Van Pelt has a 1.7 ERA and has struck out 92 batters in 115 innings.
J.C. Reeves ~ Southeast Missourian, file

CHAFFEE, Mo. — Small schools have their benefits.

Chaffee softball coach and teacher Brian Horrell has been able to gauge future talent well before it logs a varsity inning thanks to a Junior-Senior High setting.

When he saw Reese Van Pelt — now the Devil's talented freshman hurler — coming down the pike, he felt good about the future of his program.

With the return of a talent-stocked senior class that bats 3-4-5-6 in Chaffee's lineup, Van Pelt's arrival has been timely.

Van Pelt has swiftly asserted herself as Chaffee's ace and has helped the Devils (14-9) to a second-place standing in Class 2 District 1.

"She's a bulldog. She tries to get ahead of the count early with a variety of pitches," Horrell said. "She has good location and a nasty change-up."

Her numbers agree.

Van Pelt (14-6) sports a 1.7 ERA and has struck out 92 batters in 115 innings, yielding just 29 walks in the process. Offensively, she's the No. 2 hitter in the lineup.

"It's been exciting to come in as a freshman and contribute," Van Pelt said. 

Though Van Pelt carries much of the weight in the circle, she still has reverence for older teammates who've been through the varsity grind.

"I love my upperclassmen, because they've been there to talk me through absolutely everything," Van Pelt said.

A softball-centric bloodline helps, too.

Van Pelt's mother, Megan (Beggs) Van Pelt, and other relatives were standouts who won state softball titles at Kelly High School. 

A competitive club team — the SEMO Threat — has also helped put Van Pelt against some of the toughest hitters in the region.

When facing bigger schools like Jackson in the fall, she embraces the competition.

"Playing the big schools helps us," Van Pelt said. "I'm a big believer in 'Anything can happen' and if we're not supposed to win, we can get out there and compete with the big schools. It makes us better for when we play schools our own size."

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