Christie Parsons propels Raiders to 7-1 start

Purdue-bound third baseman Christie Parsons, who has come one hit short of a cycle twice this season, has led St. Thomas Aquinas to a 7-1 start in its first season in Class 7A competition.

Parsons owns a team-leading .619 batting average, .952 slugging percentage and 1.632 on-base plus slugging (OPS) percentage and has played her usual stellar defense. Gwen Svekis is second in those offensive categories (.556, .889, 1.466) and leads the team with 12 RBI.

Sam Strum leads the Raiders with four doubles, and Victoria Stock and Sara Ruiz also have OPS numbers over 1.000 among players with more than 20 plate appearances.

From the pitching circle, Stephanie Arneson has gone 4-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings, while Katie Behm, at 3-0, hasn't allowed a run in her 11 2/3 innings, striking out 19.

The Raiders' schedule starts to stiffen significantly, with the SlamFest (Friday and Saturday) and Kissimmee Klassic (April 5-7) tournaments and regular-season games against Cooper City and Pembroke Pines Charter before next month's district playoffs start up.