With the loss of standout pitcher Deanna Curtis last year, Vidalia High junior Amanda Stricklin knew somebody would have to take up the slack for the Lady Vikings. That’s when Stricklin stepped up to the plate, or about 40 feet from it.

&uot;I kind of figured we had nobody else to pitch, so I had to step up on my own,&uot; Stricklin said. &uot;I was the only one coming up with experience.&uot;

Stricklin has more than picked up the slack.

The strong-armed right-hander is 11-2 and carries an impressive 1.32 earned run average. She has struck out 62 batters over 69 innings.

Not bad for someone who didn’t even want to pitch before reaching high school.

&uot;I didn’t even want to pitch my freshman year,&uot; Stricklin said. &uot;Now I really like it.&uot;

Stricklin, who played only slow-pitch softball before her freshman year, said Vidalia High head softball coach Gary Paul Parnham and assistant coach Dee Faircloth talked her into pitching.

&uot;They told me I had the right build for it and that I could be a good pitcher,&uot; she said. &uot;Getting my control was the hardest part.&uot;

Stricklin, the daughter of Mike Stricklin and Phyllis Carroll, said learning the wind-up was the hardest part of pitching.

&uot;I had to start out pitching from a short distance to get my wind-up right,&uot; she said. &uot;I threw it over the fence a couple of times.&uot;

Stricklin said one reason for her success this year is how hard she worked last summer.

&uot;During the summer, I got our catcher (Stephanie Elliot) and we worked the whole summer,&uot; Stricklin said. &uot;I finally got to where I got my control and was pitching better. It really takes a lot of practice to be a pitcher.&uot;

Stricklin, who batted .343 last year, is carrying a .387 batting average.

&uot;I think pitching has helped my hitting more,&uot; she said. &uot;I&160;know what’s coming at me now.&uot;

Stricklin only appeared in two games on the mound last year.

&uot;I got to pitch in some JV (junior varsity) games and I was really scared,&uot; she said. &uot;But now I’ve gotten to where I can throw change-ups and drop balls.&uot;

Stricklin said her favorite pitch is the rise ball. Her fastball has been clocked at 55 miles per hour.

Stricklin said she gained confidence in her pitching during the Ferriday fast-pitch league last year.

&uot;I&160;began relaxing more on the mound,&uot; she said. &uot;But I’m still surprised. I didn’t expect to do this good. My teammates have really helped me out.&uot;

Stricklin said she is working to have more variety of pitches by next year.

&uot;I’d like to get my pitches a little faster, too,&uot; she said.

After missing out on the playoffs last year, Stricklin said she believes the Lady Vikings can go far this season.

&uot;I think we can go all the way,&uot; she said. &uot;We’re more of a team this year. And we have a lot of talent.&uot;