May 14, 2008

Six Malone Softball Players Garner AMC Postseason Honors

Six Malone College softball players were recently voted to the American Mideast Conference North Division Team.  Sophomore leftfielder Morgan Heacock (Mt. Gilead H.S.) received All-AMC North First Team honors while junior pitcher Ashleigh Ralston (Wadsworth H.S.), sophomore rightfielder Laura Blackburn (Thomas Worthington H.S.) and freshman utility player Karre Thompson (East Canton H.S.) were each named to the All-AMC North Second Team. 
 
Heacock, who was voted to the All-AMC South Second Team as a freshman in 2007, batted .315 on the year and paced the squad with 28 runs scored, four triples and 17 stolen bases.  Ralston appeared on the mound in 20 of the Pioneers’ 36 games this year and notched an 8-8 record with a 3.98 earned run average over 88 innings of work.  Blackburn was tabbed All-AMC Second Team for the second straight year after batting .330 and tallying team-highs for doubles (12), RBI’s (23), and slugging percentage (.511).  Thompson made immediate contributions at catcher, first base, and designated player in her first collegiate season as she posted four doubles, one home run and 13 RBI’s in just 74 at-bats.
 
Collecting All-AMC North Honorable Mention recognition for the Pioneers was freshman infielder Sarah Kosmos (Northwest H.S.) and freshman catcher Laura Ronk (St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S.).
 
Kosmos paced Malone in batting average (.351) and on-base percentage (.422) while scoring 15 runs.  Ronk, who also represented the Pioneers on the All-AMC North Division Freshmen Team, batted .310 on the season with seven doubles, three triples, 14 runs batted in and eight stolen bases.
 
Malone finished its 2008 campaign with a 14-22 overall record and an 8-12 mark in the AMC North Division.  The Pioneers narrowly missed out on a berth in the postseason after losing a three-team tiebreaker to Point Park (PA) University for the final AMC playoff spot.
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