Huntingdon softball earns top three GSAC honors for second straight year
ATLANTA – The Huntingdon softball team earned three of the Great South Athletic Conference's top awards for a second consecutive year.
With the release of the GSAC All-Conference awards, senior catcher Brittany Richardson was named Player of the Year, senior Melissa McClure was named Pitcher of the Year and head coach Gynger Williams was named Coach of the Year. A total of 14 Huntingdon players were recognized as either All-Conference, All-Freshmen, All-Academic or for Sportsmanship.
This is McClure's first selection as Pitcher of the Year, but the third straight season a Huntingdon Pitcher has been named Pitcher of the Year. Entering the GSAC tournament, McClure led the conference in wins (13) and ERA (1.88) and was fifth in strikeouts (81) this season. She also pitched three shutouts and two no-hitters, including a perfect game this season. Through the end of the regular season, McClure had 47 career wins and 326 strikeouts.
Richardson's selection as Player of the Year helped mark a successful comeback from an injury that cut short her junior season. Entering the conference tournament, Richardson was batting .484 with six home runs, 10 doubles, 23 RBIs, 31 runs 11 stolen bases and a .779 slugging percentage. As a catcher, she has thrown out 10 base runners and has not committed an error this season.
For Williams, this is her second straight Coach of the Year honor. Through the end of the regular season, Williams had a 116-84-1 record in five seasons at Huntingdon and a 69-21 record against conference opponents. The Lady Hawks posted a 16-0 conference record this season to win the regular season championship.
McClure and Richardson are two of five Huntingdon players named to the All-Conference team. Joining the two seniors are infielders Lauren Welch and Ashlee Zachmeyer and outfielder Jenna Rimensnyder.
Welch, a junior and two-time All-Conference pick, batted .337 with four home runs, 25 RBIs and 25 runs during the regular season. Zachmeyer, who was also named to the All-Freshman team, batted .407 with 10 doubles, 19 RBIs and 13 runs in 27 regular-season games. Entering the tournament, Rimensnyder was batting .333 with 21 runs, 15 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
Zachmeyer was one of two Lady Hawks named to the All-Freshman team, along with Halleigh DiNicholas. DiNicholas finished the regular season with a .487 batting average, five home runs, 17 RBIs, 16 runs and a .949 slugging percentage in 19 games.
A total of 10 Huntingdon players were chosen to the All-Academic team. The All-Academic selections are Gabby Alcantar, Katelyn Atkins, Kaetlen Brown, McClure, Holly Ostrander, Kari Ranczka, Jade Reynolds, Richardson, Rimensnyder and Anna Stephens. Senior Chasity Ward was Huntingdon's Sportsmanship Award winner.
2013 GSAC Softball Awards
Pitcher of the Year: Melissa McClure, Huntingdon
Player of the Year: Brittany Richardson, Huntingdon
Freshman of the Year: Kristen Rose, Finlandia
Coach of the Year: Gynger Williams, Huntingdon
All-Conference Pitchers
Melissa McClure, Huntingdon
Casey Arnold, Agnes Scott
Alyson Herman, Finlandia
Tia Nelson, Pine Manor
All-Conference Catchers
Brittany Richardson, Huntingdon
Jenni Jobe, Covenant
All-Conference Infielders
Lauren Welch, Huntingdon
Shivani Ghodadra, Agnes Scott
Kierston Garner, Salem
Adrianna Osuna, Finlandia
Avi Greene, Agnes Scott
Ashlee Zachmeyer, Huntingdon
Chardonai Rose, Pine Manor
All-Conference Outfielders
Kristen Rose, Finlandia
Melanie Ennis, Agnes Scott
Kristi Morton, Salem
Jenna Rimensnyder, Huntingdon
Aimee McKibbin, Agnes Scott
All-Conference Utility
Kayla Kennedy, Salem
Morgan Lane, Covenant
2013 All-Freshman Team
Kristen Rose, Finlandia
Ashlee Zachmeyer, Huntingdon
Kierston Garner, Salem
Chardonai Rose, Pine Manor
Casey Arnold, Agnes Scott
Morgan Lane, Covenant
Halleigh DiNicholas, Huntingdon
Allie Watkins, Salem
Sybil Lynch, Pine Manor
Karson Chapman, Salem
2013 GSAC Softball All-Academic Team
(Full team has not been released by GSAC. Huntingdon's selections are listed below)
Gabby Alcantar
Katelyn Atkins
Kaetlen Brown
Melissa McClure
Holly Ostrander
Kari Ranczka
Jade Reynolds
Brittany Richardson
Jenna Rimensnyder
Anna Stephens
2013 GSAC Sportsmanship Award
(Full team has not been released by GSAC. Huntingdon's winner is listed below)
Chasity Ward