GDW Analysis:
From being selected as the top local prep pitcher by Gameday Weekly during the 2025 AHSAA season, Good Hope's Molly Benefield remains very effective in the circle during the summer time travel schedule.
Playing in the 18 under for Southern Force, Benefield has enjoyed the opportunity of playing in high quality tournaments with collegiate programs getting to see the progress of this righthander who has two seasons left at Good Hope High School.
Benefield made her impact to the Lady Raiders in the spring with a Cullman County championship, the AHSAA 4A, Area 13 title and a trip to the North Regional playoffs.
Benefield told GDW she has performed in such locations as Birmingham, Kansas City, Kansas, and Dalton, Georgia in the current month.
Benefield and the Force were playing this weekend in Golden, Colorado.
For July, she will take her skills to Ruston, Louisiana in mid July and Hunnington Beach, California later in the month.
Going into her tour of the Rocky Mountain area, Benfield has pitched 20 plus innings, walked only five batters, struck out 23 with a 2.75 ERA.
Benefield has held opponents to a 2.25 team batting average and a WHIP of 1.131.
The right hander was all Cullman County, all area, all state and on the GDW all performance team.
In her sophomore slate, Benefield was 17 & 4 with 174 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.09.
With Benefield showing steady play in the circle as a freshman and sophomore, Good Hope has posted 45 victories in the past two seasons, claiming 25 in 2025.
The Lady Raiders will look to be a sound club next season even though four key players have graduated in Addyson Burgess, Haley Lay, Natalie Miller and Brooklyn Lambert.
Benefield will share quality experience next season with IF Campbell Koch, OF Lizzy Steed, OF Maggie O'Neil, SS Kylee Smith, OF Gracie Garmon, OF Molly Johnson, IF Gracie Bates.
All of these played valuable roles in contributing to a sound season while Benefield was involved in 21 decisions inside the circle.
Photo of Good Hope's Molly Benefield for the Southern Force in a tournament at Liberty Park in Vestavia June 01.
Photo courtesy of Dusty Benefield.
