Sampson Co. softball player signs for D1

Glenna McLamb signed an Athletic Financial Aid Agreement (formerly the National Letter of Intent) to play softball for Gardner-Webb University last Thursday, a moment that she said made her feel “blessed and grateful.”

McLamb, a standout athlete for the Cape Fear Christian Academy Eagles, doesn’t just play softball. In fact, she picked up tennis this year and helped them win a state championship. Softball is her main game, though, and that’s the sport she will play at the Division 1 level in college. She is also a cheerleader for — and plays basketball for — the Eagles. A season ago, she averaged 10.4 points per game, shooting 36 percent from the field.

The three-sport athlete thrives on the softball field, though, where she primarily plays pitcher, but plays outfield, too. She was a pitcher at Midway High through her freshman year, but transferred to CFCA, which she said was “more welcoming” for her. “It wasn’t anything about Midway that I left for, I just felt like I needed a little bit of a change,” she said. “When I came here, I fell in love with the people and the coaches; everybody welcomed me in.”

The ceremony, which took place in the gym at CFCA, had her family, friends, teammates, classmates, and coaches in attendance. She officially signed for the Runnin’ Bulldogs on Nov. 13, but the ceremony was held last week to celebrate the momentous occasion for McLamb and the Eagles.

Gardner-Webb is a private, liberal arts Christian university, located in Boiling Springs.

McLamb has a slew of accolades under her belt, which helped put her in the spotlight for Division 1 softball scouts, but a camp at a different school led to the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ coaches getting their eyes on her, she said.

“They showed up, and kind of singled me out, and talked to me,” McLamb explaining how the Gardner-Webb coaches showed their interest in the Sampson County pitcher. “I fell in love with the coaches and the school.”

McLamb boasts 2.29 strikeouts per inning with the Eagles, which is a feat in and of itself. With just three outs an inning, she nearly took down every batter she faced in the last two years. Her ERA — or Earned Run Average — last season was just 1.33. ERA is calculated by the earned runs scored on a pitcher divided by innings pitched, and that number is multiplied by the total number of innings. For perspective, Maddie Penta, a pitcher for Auburn’s Division 1 college softball team, had an ERA of 1.90 last season, the lowest in the country at that level.

It wasn’t just Glenna’s ERA or strikeouts per inning that got the attention of softball scouts, either. In the batter’s box, McLamb blasted five home runs for the Eagles and a whopping .406 batting average. She was a 2024 All-State softballer, and that award was coupled with Defensive Player of the Year and MVP honors as well.

Her dominance on the mound comes with a rigorous training regimen, which includes a CrossFit coach. She also shares a pitching coach with Jordy Bahl, a two-time WCWS champion pitcher from the University of Oklahoma. Darren Dubsky, out of Omaha, Neb., wasn’t able to attend her ceremony, but his presence was still felt in the signing of another athlete under his guidance. Dubsky is a member of the USA Softball Hall of Fame as a men’s fastpitch pitcher.

Sports have been a big part of McLamb’s life from childhood, she said, but it was her father, Tommy, who helped spur her love for softball.

“I’m very competitive,” she admitted. “Being competitive is what I do, and my dad has always taught me to be competitive. And that’s what you get with sports. I just love to win.

“When I was younger, I played T-ball, and I could not stand T-ball baseball, then someone got me into softball,” she continued. “My dad took me out to the yard, and started playing with me. And I fell in love with it.”

Throughout her high school and travel ball team career, Glenna has two perfect games under her belt. Alongside that, she has had a number of no-hitters, but her father Tommy said that they “don’t really have a number on that.”

The senior softball player doesn’t have one specific favorite moment on the diamond, but a few memorable ones, instead. “I think it’s the tight games I’ve had. The really tight games, and I pull it out with the last strikeout, and everyone goes crazy,” she said. “Or I hit home runs — either one.”

McLamb said she wants to major in biology, but that’s “obviously a little difficult playing sports.” But, she is sticking with that plan right now, and hopes to one day be a physician’s assistant.

“I would love to go play pro (softball),” she commented, on whether collegiate softball will be the last stop for her, or if it will take her beyond Gardner-Webb. “If that was to be the case, because softball doesn’t stop for me. But, if not, I would love to coach kids outside of this.”

Glenna said she loves Gardner-Webb’s small atmosphere, noting that it is similar to Cape Fear Christian Academy. “Looking forward to a great time with my teammates and coaches,” she said.

The AFAA she signed includes a full-ride scholarship for McLamb to play softball for the Runnin’ Bulldogs.