Postseason gets underway for growing Bloomfield SB squad

Bloomfield High School softball coach Charlotte Phillips speaks with an umpire during a game earlier this season at Bernie High School.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

The “second season” begins today for the Bloomfield High School softball squad.

The Wildcats will visit Winona and battle the host Wildcats (2-12) at 2 p.m. to open the MSHSAA Class 1 District 3 Tournament.

A Bloomfield victory would be the seventh in 18 games this spring, which would be a high mark since 2021 for the program.

“I think what is keeping us going,” veteran Bloomfield coach Charlotte Phillips said earlier this season, “is we do have good attitudes and we’re willing to work together.”

Phillips’ squad has been a young one this season, as Mollianne Dodd and Scarlett Goodin are the lone seniors on the 11-player roster.

Many of the Bloomfield players lacked softball experience, according to Phillips, but she has utilized players in multiple positions this spring, which allows the athletes to grow defensively.

“We have had to move girls around who have had to play spots that they have never played before,” Phillips said.

Dodd was one of those interchangeable parts.

She played shortstop earlier in the season, but Phillips has used her at first base more recently.

Bloomfield sophomore Lillith Webb traded places with Dodd but has also played a little bit of center field while Goodin has played both second base (primarily) and some shortstop.

Freshman Evelyn Pellett has played both right and center field, as well as shortstop and second base while sophomore Hannah Watson has played all three outfield positions.

In the case of Webb, Phillips said she could play any number of positions because of her athleticism.

“She moved to shortstop and did a really good job,” Phillips said of initially moving her from center field to shortstop. “I needed somebody to play more consistently. She’s very athletic.”

Phillips is completing her 11th season with the program and still is fired up on gamedays like today.

“I love the competitiveness of (softball),” Phillips said. “Getting out here and just watching the girls grow and get better every year.

“We usually don’t have a whole bunch of girls, but we have girls who are very coachable, and they work really hard.”