Sequatchie's young Edgmon sisters commit to softball Mocs

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball program recently got commitments from sisters Ella and Addy Edgmon.

Ella, 15, is a freshman at Sequatchie County High School. Addy, 14, is an eighth-grader at Sequatchie Middle.

The Edgmons have been attending Lady Mocs softball camps since they were about 10 years old. Their most recent unofficial visit to UTC, an NCAA Division I program headed by Frank Reed, was in February.

"I like it because it's close," Ella said. "I wanted my parents to be able to come. It's D-I. I had other offers, but I love Coach Reed."

Said Addy: "I like it because it's close, and I like Coach Frank and Coach (Scottie) Kilgore, too."

The girls' father, Shawn, said the girls studied their decision before making it. First there was a family meeting to discuss things.

"We didn't know if they wanted to play together," Shawn said of his and wife Kelly's concerns. "One minute they can be the best of friends. The next minute they can be arguing, fussing and fighting."

Another thing to consider is both play center field on their select teams. Ella is currently playing shortstop on her high school team - out of necessity.

"It's just where we've needed her to play," Sequatchie coach Kelly Somerville said. "She does a good job. She doesn't care where she plays. She'll do whatever you ask her to do."

Given Ella's offensive prowess, she's going to be in the lineup somewhere. As the Lady Indians' leadoff batter she was batting .488 coming into this weekend's Soddy-Daisy Lady Trojan Invitational at Warner Park with four triples, 14 stolen bases and 12 runs scored.

"Ella is very fast," Somerville said. "She's a good ballplayer and a good kid. She's also very passionate about the game. That's a hard thing to coach. She just comes with that."

Somerville isn't as familiar yet with Addy, who will be joining the high school team next season. But the coach has seen her play.

"It's amazing how much ground she covers," Somerville said. "She can be nowhere near the ball and all of a sudden it's in her glove. They're both hard-working kids."

While it may seem like the Edgmons - particularly Addy - are relatively young to be making a college decision already, it's become the norm in softball. Ella said if she didn't commit now, an offer may not be there later.

"I think UTC is a great fit for them," Somerville said. "It's great that they'll get to play close to home. Family is important to them. They're young, but if it's the right school, you know that you know. I think it's a good choice."

Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.

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