It’s a familiar scene on the Republic softball field: Coach Lee Dishman visits the pitching circle to talk with Kara Goeke or Piper Dishman. Catcher Lilli Richerson waits nearby, listening. After Dishman leaves, Richerson steps in for a quick word with the pitcher before returning to her position behind the plate.
“Whenever I go out there, if you watch, Lilli comes out on the back side and after they get talked to, Lilli comes in and tells them, ‘Hey, you’re all right. Let’s go,’ and locks them back in,” Coach Dishman said.
Richerson explained why she lingers near the circle, listening: “Sometimes, I don’t know if he’s mad or not, and so I like to kind of listen in on their conversation. Also, sometimes he’ll know what they’re doing wrong, and so I like to put that in the game and tell them if they do it again.”
That repeated interaction is just one example of the bond between Richerson and her two junior pitchers. It’s a relationship that’s been years in the making. And with Richerson set to graduate in the spring, the three have only a few games left to work together.
“The first time I caught Piper was around 10 years old,” Richerson said. “Dishman was also our coach for that, too. I started catching Kara (in) middle school.”
That familiarity has helped Richerson develop a deep understanding of each pitcher’s style.
“Being with them a lot, it has helped me learn the spin of their pitches, because their spin is always different,” Richerson said. “Piper’s a left-handed pitcher, so her balls would go left; and then Kara, she’s a right-handed pitcher so her spins will go to the right more.”
The pitchers appreciate having Richerson behind the plate. Goeke praised her work ethic and leadership.
“She is just such a hard worker, and I know I will never have to get on to her for not giving her best effort,” Goeke said. “I know whatever she gives me is always 110%, and on top of that, she’s already one of the best catchers in the conference, I think, so that helps a lot.”
Piper Dishman echoed those sentiments.
“Lilli works her butt off in practice, in games, all the time. She saves me some of the time from getting in trouble,” she said. “She’s a leader for our team and she’s a leader behind the plate.”
Coach Dishman emphasized Richerson’s impact on the pitchers’ confidence.
“They feel comfortable with her back there because they can throw any pitch at any time and Lilli’s going to take care of it,” he said. “Lilli’s framing’s phenomenal, so balls that are off the plate, we get a lot of strikes on because of Lilli. (With) her blocking, we know we can throw it in the dirt and Lilli’s going to handle it.”
The relationship between the three players has grown beyond the field.
“We’ve been together since we were like 10, 11, somewhere around there,” Piper Dishman said. “It’s definitely grown over the years and we became very close. I would call them my sisters.”
Goeke noted the importance of their long-standing connection.
“The senior class was the first middle school team, and then that got affected by COVID a little bit. But (current juniors and seniors) were the first actual season of middle school softball that we had, so we were playing together from a really young age,” she said. “Time helps so much with team chemistry, and we’re all pretty good friends off the field, which helps a lot.”
That friendship doesn’t mean they don’t push each other. Both pitchers mentioned that Richerson isn’t afraid to challenge them when needed.
“Sometimes when I’m struggling, she’ll come out there and she’ll just tell me, ‘Know who you are. You’re better than this.’ She kind of gets on to me, but sometimes it’s needed,” Piper Dishman said.
Goeke added, “She usually knows what to say to calm me down if I get flustered or if I walk a girl, she’ll call time. We have a routine, and she does it with Piper. She makes us take a breath, and we smile, and we’re just like, ‘Okay, so what? Next batter.'”
As Richerson’s high school career comes to a close, her impact on the program and her teammates is clear. Coach Dishman summed it up:
“Lilli is the natural leader on this team.”
The battery trio and the rest of the Lady Tigers begin district play Thursday against Springfield Glendale at Kickapoo High School.