A multi-threat, Doucette picks Darton softball

The student-athlete who can beat you in so many different ways. That’s Perry High softball senior Sabrina Doucette.

A former Warner Robins American Little League World Series champion, Doucette is going to join another one-time WRALL player in Oregon – Houston County High’s Taylor Brown – for the next freshman class at Darton State College in Albany.

Her high school coach, Lorne Tucker, expressed how hard it’s going to be putting a lineup together without Doucette after doing so for four years. Two times her region honored her as both Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year.

Last fall, Doucette, from the leadoff spot, hit nine home runs, five triples and 11 doubles. She batted .418 (51-for-122) in 38 games with 42 runs and 33 RBI.

Perhaps Doucette’s defining moments as a high school hitter go back to the 2013 state playoffs. That year Perry won two best-of-3 series that went three full games on the road. She homered in the first inning of Game 3 at Locust Grove – one of two in the series – and at Crisp County she doubled twice with two outs and scored twice in a Game 3 victory.

Doucette can also beat you as a pitcher. Most of her time in the circle as a senior was limited to later in the season due to injury, Tucker said. But one year before she was the main thrower because of Kaley Sikes’ injury. As a senior, Doucette appeared in 11 games, winning four and converting three out of three save opportunties. In 50 innings, she gave up 17 earned runs (2.38), struck out 52 and walked only nine.

Going back to that Game 3 win at Crisp, the final score was 5-4 and it put Perry in the Class AAAA Elite 8. However, Crisp had the tying run on third base in the seventh inning … and Doucette retired the side stranding that runner.

As Doucette now moves on to Darton, she said her reasons for choosing there include the nursing program. She wants to follow her mother’s – Susan Higley – footsteps in that field.

“The (softball) program’s always been really strong,” said Doucette. “They’ve gone to a lot of big tournaments and won, and I want to be on a team that wins. Because I was at Perry. I want to pursue my dream of going to college at Darton.

“Coach Tucker taught me everything in the world. I would never pick another coach … the best coach I’ve ever had. I hope everybody else who has him takes advantage of that. You can’t find coaches like him anywhere else.”

Doucette’s role at Darton State may end up being similar to what she did for Tucker. First and foremost, she said they are bringing her in as a pitcher, but added they plan to use her in centerfield.

“And to slap and to hit (depending on the situation),” she said. “I’m coming in as everything. They said they’ll put me wherever they need me, as a utility player.

“I think I need to earn my spot on the field like anybody else does.”

After Darton, Doucette said she is eyeing either North Georgia University or Kennesaw State to continue both nursing studies and softball. If she had it her way, she said her big dream is to attend Marshall in West Virginia.

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