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Lady Hawks honored at SSAC Softball awards banquet
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- The Shorter University softball
team racked up several All-Conference honors at the Southern States
Athletic Conference softball awards banquet held on Wednesday night
in Columbus, Ga.
The Lady Hawks, the top seed in the 2011 SSAC Softball Tournament that begins tomorrow, had five players earn All-Conference honors and seven named to the Academic All-Conference team.
Senior Libby Munson highlighted Shorter's evening by earning SSAC East Division Pitcher of the Year honors as well as the SSAC's Infield Gold Glove award.
Munson, a three-time NAIA All-American and owner of practically every Lady Hawk pitching record, garnered her fourth All-Conference nod as a member of the All-SSAC team.
She captured the SSAC East Division Pitcher of the Year accolade by going 21-4 with a 1.43 ERA and nine shutouts on the rubber. Her 118 strikeouts ranked sixth in the conference.
Munson needs just one more win in the circle for 100 in her career -- she enters the SSAC Tournament with a 99-21 overall record -- and remains Shorter's all-time leader in innings pitched, career ERA, wins, strikeouts, shutouts and complete games.
As a second baseman, shortstop and pitcher, Munson became the second straight Lady Hawk to win a Gold Glove honor -- outfielder Tiffany Adams won the award in 2010 -- by turning in a .993 fielding percentage with just one error in 135 chances. Shorter's all-time leader in assists had 81 in 2011 and was a part of four double plays.
Munson was effective with the bat in her hands as well, hitting .373 -- the second highest average in her career -- with 37 RBI, a team-high 16 doubles and career-best three triples. She remains Shorter's leader in career hits, doubles and RBI.
Joining Munson on the All-SSAC squad were sophomore Jessica Womble and freshman Anna Frazee.
Womble improved upon an incredible freshman season in 2010 with a career year in 2011. The Loganville, Ga., native led the team with a .449 batting average, which ranked third in the SSAC. She also turned in a team-high 61 hits, led the team and the league in triples with seven and hit three home runs while driving in 40 runs, the third highest RBI total on the Lady Hawk roster.
Womble stole 18 bases, scored 45 runs and moved into first place on Shorter's all-time triples list with 11 for her career.
Frazee burst onto the scene as a freshman this season and provided the Lady Hawks' with some much needed power in the middle of the lineup.
She ranked sixth in the SSAC and led Shorter's roster with nine homers while posting 42 RBI. Frazee, who was named the NAIA National Player of the Week in March, hit 10 doubles and led Shorter with a lofty .702 slugging percentage.
Frazee's efforts also earned her a spot on the SSAC All-Freshman team.
First year pitcher Kristen Little also gathered SSAC All-Freshman honors after going 9-4 with a 1.82 ERA. Little fanned 76 batters and walked just 25.
Shorter senior Kara Pollock picked up SSAC All-East Division recognition.
Pollock enjoyed a breakout 2011 season with career-bests in batting average (.387), doubles (11), home runs (8) and RBI 56. She set school records this year with two home runs in a single inning and 11 RBI in one game in a victory over Emmanuel College late in the season. In that same game, Pollock tied a Shorter single game record with three home runs.
Pollock, Shorter's Champion of Character nominee who transferred to Shorter after two years at NCAA II University of West Georgia, boasted a slugging percentage of .642 and hit a blistering .442 with eight doubles, seven homers and 43 RBI in conference play alone.
Seven Lady Hawks earned Academic All-Conference nods: seniors Munson, Pollock, Amanda Alberston and Kayla Lewis; junior Brooke Bryan; sophomore Womble; and redshirt freshman Jackie Castenada.
