Sun Journal Softball Player of the Year: Kyeria Morse, Oxford Hills

Kyeria Morse of Oxford Hills throws a pitch to Edward Little on May 3 at the Gouin Athletic Complex in South Paris. Morse had a standout sophomore season as both a pitcher and hitter and was selected as the Sun Journal Softball Player of the Year. Brewster Burns photo

Kyeria Morse’s second season started off, at least for her, a little slower than expected.

She was still able to follow up her phenomenal first season with a great second season and was at her best in the most important matches of the season.

“The last two games of the season, against Skowhegan and Cheverus, she dominated the hill,” said Oxford Hills coach Cindy Goddard.

Morse propelled the Vikings to their second straight state championship by throwing a no-hitter against Skowhegan in the Class A North final. She then had a strong performance, keeping Oxford Hills within reach in a 3-1 loss to Cheverus in the Class A title game.

“She’s one of those kids, when the pressure is on, I think she enjoys it more,” Goddard said. “It’s like the more challenging it is, the more fun it is for her.”

Morse’s outstanding play on the mound and at bat this season earned her the 2024 Sun Journal Softball Player of the Year.

She finished the year with 150 strikeouts and went 12-3 with a 1.46 earned run average on the season. At the plate, she led the Vikings in on-base percentage (.552), home runs (three) and RBIs (29), and her .464 batting average ranked second on the team.

After the season, she was named to the KVAC Class A First Team for the second consecutive year.

“Morse is definitely one of the better players (I’ve coached), just all-around — not only can she do it on the mound, but her delivery is unbelievable, like a shotgun,” Goddard said. “Being the power hitter that she is, she’s probably one of our best bunts (as well). She’s not afraid to lay down the bunt.”

‘THIS IS MY SPORT’

Softball is Morse’s only sport and she spends hours playing it year-round. Her father even built a softball field in her backyard in Norway, giving her even more time to hone her skills.

“Since I was 5, I started playing in the minors,” Morse said. “They gave me a chance and I just started liking it, and I thought, ‘This is my sport and I want to play it.’ So I worked hard at it.”

She also played a lot of softball, including for the Mountaineers, who are coached by her mother.

So Morse entered her high school career in 2023 ready to contribute. And she has. She has been Oxford Hills’ top pitcher both seasons and has played a major role in winning regional titles and reaching the state championships both years.

One benefit of her experience with the Vikings and high school softball was that her older sister, Kaydence Morse, was named the Sun Journal Softball Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023 when Kyeria was a freshman.

Oxford Hills pitcher Kyeria Morse throws a ball during a Class A North quarterfinal against Brewer in Paris on June 6. Brewster Burns photo

She also has the help of other strong pitchers on the team — Goddard said Cameron Mayhan and Maddy Miller “could probably pitch for pretty much any other college team.”

Kyeria Morse said the three talk to each other, make sure they are ready to throw and can help each other out if one is having a bad day.

“You’ve got to be there for your people. It might seem like they’ve had a good time and all that, but you’ve still got to give that pep talk,” Morse said. “You don’t know what that does to people, just kind of talking and saying, ‘You can do it.’ It just raises the bar for them.”

Outside of softball, Morse is an avid deer hunter and doesn’t mind any part of the process — including the boning. She also shows and sells her family’s cows at the Fryeburg and Oxford County fairs.

“I’m going to the Oxford Fair this year with my bull,” Morse said. “I went last year and I’m staying all week. I’ve shown him a couple of times and then the judges come and show your cow, how well you’ve set him up.”

Otherwise, she will spend a lot of time working on her pitching and her hitting. Morse said she wants to help Oxford Hills get back to the state title game and win. She also has a goal of playing softball in college.

“Everybody says, ‘You’re blessed, you’re blessed,'” Morse said, “but they don’t see how many hours I put into softball. I mean, my dad built a softball field in my backyard and I hit it almost every night.”

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