April 23, 2009

HICKORY, N.C. – Mars Hill College senior shortstop Ashley Harber (Goose Creek, S.C.) was named the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Co-Player of the Year. Mars Hill also led the way with six All-Conference selections.

The award was presented Thursday night on the campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University following first-round play of the Food Lion SAC Softball Tournament.

Harber hit .379 with eight home runs and 33 runs batted in.

Harber shared the award with Wingate University senior third baseman Hallie Pettigrew. Pettigrew was also named the SAC Scholar-Athlete for softball.

In addition to Harber, Ashley Seawell (Asheboro, N.C.) was also named to the SAC First Team. To date, Seawell is tied with Harber for the team lead in homeruns with eight and leads the team with 37 RBI.

Paige Brantley (Raleigh, N.C.), Rebekah Huff (Mars Hill, N.C.), Ashley Angell (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Anna James (Bellevue, Wash.) were all named to the SAC Second Team.

Brantley sports a 1.43 ERA and leads the team in appearances (27), innings pitched (107.1), saves (6) and strikeouts (98).

Huff has scored 23 runs and leads the team with three triples. A stellar second baseman, she also leads the team with 93 assists.

Angell is batting .346 with a team-high 31 runs scored. She has committed only one error all season.

James is batting .323 with three homeruns and is second on the team with 19 RBI. She has not committed an error all season.

Newberry College junior pitcher Amanda Huckstein was named the SAC Pitcher of the Year. Lenoir-Rhyne University freshman first baseman Sarah Atkins was named Freshman of the Year.

Wingate Coach Michelle Caddigan was named Coach of the Year.

The South Atlantic Conference All-Conference teams are selected by the league’s head coaches.

FIRST TEAM
Catcher - Sarah Atkins, Lenoir-Rhyne
Pitcher - Amanda Huckstein, Newberry
Pitcher - Brittany Blankenship, Wingate
1st Base - Ashley Seawell, Mars Hill
2nd Base - Kat Hammond, Newberry
Shortstop - Ashley Harber, Mars Hill
3rd Base - Hallie Pettigrew, Wingate
Outfield - Jessi Whitesides, Catawba
Outfield - Erin Evans, Lenoir-Rhyne
Outfield - Loranda McClain, Wingate
Utility - Noel Belk, Lenoir-Rhyne

SECOND TEAM
Catcher - Ryann Baker, Catawba
Pitcher - Dawon Millwood, Lenoir-Rhyne
Pitcher - Paige Brantley, Mars Hill
1st Base - Sarah Little, Carson-Newman
2nd Base - Rebekah Huff, Mars Hill
Shortstop - Kat Rivers, Lenoir-Rhyne
3rd Base - Whitney Kee, Carson-Newman
Outfield - Leah Price, Carson-Newman
Outfield - Ashley Angell, Mars Hill
Outfield - Anna James, Mars Hill
Utility - Debra Grijalva, Wingate

Statistical Champions
Batting Average - Carly Sabat, Catawba, .430
Slugging Percentage - Kat Hammond, Newberry, .780
On-Base Percentage - Kat Hammond, Newberry, .513
Home Runs Per Game, - Kat Hammond, Newberry, .26
RBIs Per Game - Kat Hammond, Newberry, 1.05
Runs Scored Per Game - Jessie Howard, Carson-Newman, 1.05
Triples Per Game, - Jessie Howard, Carson-Newman, .10 and Julie Broyer, Wingate, .10
Doubles Per Game - Leyila Myers, Wingate, .38
Stolen Bases Per Game - LaRonda McClain, Wingate, .63
Earned Run Average - Allison Smith, Wingate, .880
Strikeouts Per Game - Allison Smith, Wingate, 7.22
Pitching Victories - Amanda Huckstein, Newberry, 18

Team Batting Average - Lenoir-Rhyne, .339
Team Slugging Percentage- Lenoir-Rhyne, .498
Team Home Runs Per Game - Carson-Newman, .73
Team On-Base Percentage - Carson-Newman, .401
Runs Scored Per Game - Carson-Newman, 5.98
RBIs Per Game - Carson-Newman, 5.43
Stolen Bases Per Game - Carson-Newman, 1.78
Team Earned Run Average - Newberry, 1.850
Strikeouts Per Game - Mars Hill, 6.18

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