Softball player of the week (4/4): Melissa’s Bryton Wright

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Melissa’s Bryton Wright

What she did: Wright threw a one-hitter against Aubrey on Tuesday and a perfect game against Anna on Thursday. In a matchup of state-ranked teams vs. Aubrey (Melissa is No. 4 in the state in Class 4A, Aubrey is No. 10) Wright had 14 strikeouts while allowing one walk in a 1-0 victory. In an 11-0 win over Anna, Wright had 12 strikeouts over five innings while going 2 for 3 at the plate with a double.

Who she is: A junior pitcher/first baseman. Wright has played softball since she was 4 years old. She has received recruiting interest from Temple College, Henderson State, Harding and Galveston College.

The stats: Wright is 17-1. In 88 innings pitched she has a 0.33 ERA with 186 strikeouts while allowing 29 hits and 13 walks. She is batting .442 with five home runs and 19 RBIs. She has helped Melissa compile a 17-1 record, 7-0 in District 9-4A.

She said it: “Everybody on the team went into the Aubrey game ready. The best part about my pitching was definitely my movement. My best pitch was the curveball. It’s good to know we can play that good against a team like Aubrey. We will play teams like that later in the postseason.”

Coach said it: “Bryton was doing this last year before the pandemic. She carried that into this year. She was able to do that because she has long-range goals in mind and definitely wants to play in college. She has team goals, too, for us right now. We call her “Mama Bryton” because of the way she always takes care of her teammates. She is the first person to offer congratulations and the first to pick a teammate up when they’re down.” — Eric Rodgers.

Did you know? Wright plans on majoring in physical therapy in college and wants to open her own physical therapy practice. She was inspired to enter physical therapy while recovering from a right shoulder injury suffered playing basketball in the eighth grade. … Wright’s favorite courses in school are Spanish and math. … Her favorite meal is filet mignon (well done, please) with a side of mashed potatoes. … Wright’s favorite softball player is former pitcher Jennie Finch, who helped the U.S. National Team win a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics and a silver medal in 2008. “Watching her pitch growing up was inspiring,” Wright said.

Honorable mentions

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