Six Sea Gulls named to NFCA All-Region teams
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced its 2009 Division III All-Region teams and six Salisbury University softball athletes were honored in the Atlantic Region. The six SU honorees are the most the Sea Gulls have had since 2004.
The Gulls placed five athletes on the first team including seniors Stacy Davis, Stacey Malarkey and Meaghan O'Gara plus juniors Lauren Brenneman and Kelly Waskewicz. Junior Ali Ritter was the final SU recipient to be named all-region as she was named to the third team.
Davis, a third team member in '08, has had a terrific final season for No. 11 SU (34-4) as she has a record of 20-2 with an ERA of 1.27. The Westminster, Md., native has pitched 15 complete games, thrown seven shutouts, in 121.2 innings of work, struck out 112 and limited opposing batters to a .172 batting average. Davis has been a tough out inside the batter's box as the senior has a batting average of .339, 13 runs scored, 20 hits, seven doubles and 13 RBIs.
This is the third consecutive season Malarkey has been honored as a first-team all-region honoree. The Taneytown, Md., native has started in all 38 games at second base and has been great in the field with .957 fielding percentage, 76 put outs and 56 assists. At the plate Malarkey had similar success as she has a .393 batting average, scored 38 runs, 44 hits, seven doubles, a team-high 11 home runs, 42 RBIs, 16 hit by pitches and a perfect 12-for-12 on steal attempts.
O'Gara returns to the all-region team after a three-year hiatus as she was a third team member in '06. O'Gara, recently was named the Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year, had a strong senior season as she has a team-high .430 batting average, 31 runs scored, 40 hits, 13 doubles, six home runs and 37 RBIs. The Northport, N.Y., native has a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 on 19 put outs and five assists.
This is the second straight season that Brenneman has been named all-region as she was a second-team member in '08. The junior catcher has been great behind the plate as she has started all 38 contests and posted a fielding percentage of .988, 236 put outs and 12 assists. At the plate, the York, Pa., native has been even more impressive with a .420 batting average, 39 runs, 47 hits, 11 doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 41 RBIs.
Waskewicz is a first team member for the third consecutive season. The junior shortstop started all 38 games and has a batting average of .415, with 44 runs scored, a team-high 54 hits, 14 doubles, nine home runs and 34 RBIs. The Olney, Md., native has 40 put outs, 63 assists and a fielding percentage of .945.
Ritter, a first team member in '07, was honored as an at-large honoree. Ritter started all 38 games at first base and has recorded 241 put outs, 17 assists, turned six double plays and has a fielding percentage of 1.000. At the plate the junior is batting .373, with 21 runs scored, 41 hits, six doubles, three home runs and 29 runs driven in. The Belvidere, N.J., native is a perfect five-for-five on stolen base attempts.
SU, Christopher Newport University and Rhodes College each had six players make the Atlantic Region teams. CAC institutions York (Pa.) College and University of Mary Washington each had two players receive all-region honors.
The Sea Gulls have earned 74 all-region honors since 1995 with 46 players on the first team.
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