Sports Writer Bill Jenkins said it was the top girls’ team ever assembled.

He was talking about the 1951 Keenburg team of the Carter County Community League.

The team was coached by the late Johnnie Shields and Charlie Morris who coached several years, building outstanding teams in the area.  One lady that played on that team was Charlotte Bullock Markland.  It was the beginning of a long career for Markland, and she played in almost every southern state from here to Texas.

When Charlotte entered Elizabethton High School, they had no girls sports programs.  Her first team was the Betsyettes who played in the finals of tournaments led by Markland who was their pitcher.   She would go on to play in Johnson City for Faircloth where she was the winning pitcher on the East Tennessee Championship team beating Greenville 14-9.

Markland stated, “Mr. Faircloth was really good to us when we went to Nashville. He took us all to the Grand Ole Opry and almost every week, he took us to the Peerless Steak House.  Good sponsors were hard to find in the fifties and sixties.”

This paid off for Faircloth as Markland led them to the State Tournament winning two games as a pitcher and beating the Markettes, 12-8, in the first game and in the title game, 23-7.  Ina Hopson, Pat Todd, and Mary Ruth Sanders were the big sticks for Faircloth.

In 1962, Charlotte got to play in Houston Texas with the Travelers.  Her team was 8-0 and was one of twenty teams in eight states to play in the National Tournament.  Markland threw a four-hitter in the finals to allow the team to travel to Houston.   She recalled playing a Mexican team that was very good, and the next year she would take her team to the Tennessee State Championship game where they lost in the last inning by an ERA.  That was with the Kingsport Travelers who played games at J. Fred Stadium, Greeneville, Knoxville and Chattanooga.  She also played against the Nashville Mustangs in the state tournament.

    In the mid-60’s Charlotte played for the Greeneville Royals.  That year they played in Alabama tournament where she tossed a five-hitter in one of the games.   In 1964, Charlotte would pitch against St. Petersburg Florida who was the West Coast Title team.  As a Greeneville Royal, Markland opened the South Atlantic Tournament play with a 9-0 win playing for Coach Wayland Mays.

Carter County Sports Hall of Famer Becky Berry said, “Charlotte played softball for many years before I had the pleasure of being her teammate. She could play any infield position you put her. You could count on her to get in the path of the ball and most of the time; she would come through with the out.  She could place the ball when batting and mostly hit a line drive or put it in the ground. She never popped out. She was a tough ole gal.”

Charlotte would go on to play for Kingsport Travelers where in his first game she struck out nine batters in leading Kingsport over Clarksville pitching a shutout 10-0.  In her lifetime, Charlotte played in three separate divisions of the state tournament.  She played fast pitch, slow pitch and then in a church league with Borderview Christian Church where she had teammates like Bonnie Williams, Edith Scalf, Vera Wolfe, Kathy Rasnick and Luann Oliver along with Becky Street.   She would also play with Street Sandy’s Golden Comb All-Stars where she had teammates like Gloria Hall, Vicky and Missy Smith, Patsy Walker and the team was coached by Paul and Sandra Boyd.  In one state tournament, Charlotte could remember pitching four games in one day, and her catcher caught all four games with her.

“Charlotte was one of the very first women’s fast-pitch softball pitchers in the area. She played all over the area and was one of the best.  She was a real pioneer and traveled everywhere,” stated Milligan softball Coach Wes Holly.

Local educator Cindy Bowman said that Markland made a big impact on her life.

“Charlotte was not only a great pitcher but an awesome athlete who fielded her position better than anyone around our parts,” stated Bowman. “She put up with a group of 15- and 16-year-old girls who were decent athletes and taught us how to play fastpitch softball. She helped us so much that in just a few years we played in tournaments against what we would call professionals today. I was the catcher, and she taught me how to frame her pitches leading to many strikeouts. Charlotte was a smart hitter as she knew how to move runners around the bases and knew whether to hit in front or behind the runners on base. There are a few people who make a difference in our lives, and I can not tell you how much Charlotte impacted my life.”    

She also added, “Teammates are your family and how fortunate was I to play with the best pitcher and best person who has had a tremendous impact on my life.”

Charlotte’s teams she played for through the years include 1946-47 Keenburg basketball, 1951-Keenburg 1953-Betsyettes, 1959-Faircloth, 1961 All-Stars, 1963 Travers, 1964-Kingsport Travelers, 1965 Kingsport Royals, 1972- Ashbury Greenville Royals, 1972 Borderview Christian Church, 1977 All-Stars Slowpitch, 1981 Sandy’s Golden Comb.  She also played basketball in 1954-55 for Keenburg and 1959 for Faircloth basketball team.