DLN ALL-AREA: Softball First Team, Second Team, Honorable Mention & Coach of the Year

First Team
Pitcher
Devon Miller, So., Bishop Shanahan
Miller was flat-out dominating at times, racking up 307 strikeouts in 174 innings pitched, for a per game average of 12.35.  She was no slouch at the plate, either, hitting .435 with 7 HR and 24 RBI.

Catcher
Sam Gomez, So., West Chester East
While excelling at arguably the most demanding position on the field, Gomez was also the Vikings top hitter.  Batting clean-up, Gomez hit .493, with 37 hits, 13 for extra bases, while knocking in 19.

First Base
Allyson Wallauer, Sr., Avon Grove
Skills with the glove are often overlooked in a first baseman, but Wallauer was about as steady as they come, committing just one error all season, in 114 chances.  At the plate, Wallauer added 113 points to her average from last year, and hit .446 with 34 RBI.

Second Base
Bri Wright, Sr., Villa Maria
Wright, about as clutch a hitter as you’ll find, was the Hurricanes’ team MVP for 2017.  Defensively, Wright had 48 putouts.  With the bat in her hand, she hit 338 with 15 R and 21 RBI.

Shortstop
Kasey Collins, Sr., Henderson
Gifted with the glove, Collins was also a key cog in the Warriors offense.  Hitting lead-off, Collins had 39 hits and scored 30 runs while hitting for a .443 average.

Third Base
Erin Bevec, So., Great Valley
Giving a glimpse of what Coach Jeff Celucci calls “unlimited potential”, Bevec hit .428 for the season, with 11 extra base hits.  Bevec kicked it up a notch in the post season, and led the Patriots in every offensive category as the Patriots rebounded from a 2-6 start to qualify for the state tourney.

Outfield
Kylee Harvey, Sr., Kennett
Arguably the best defensive centerfielder in the county, Harvey has been a steady fixture in the Blue Demon line-up for four years.  She finished her senior campaign with a .497 average, with six home runs, including the game winner in Kennett’s firsr round win in districts.

Analise Griffiths, So., Unionville
The speedy Griffiths hit .400 on the year, with 26 base hits and 12 stolen bases, all while anchoring the Unionville outfield on defense, posting a sparking fielding percentage of .974.

Dominique Ricevuto, Sr., Coatesville
Filling a big hole for the Red Raiders by moving from first base to the outfield, Ricevuto made a smooth transition.  An offensive leader for Coatesville despite hitting down in the order, Ricevuto hit .480 with 12 extra base hits.

Designated Player/Utility
Rachel Butler, Sr., Avon Grove
Taking over in the circle following the departure of Maggie Balint, Butler quickly stepped out of that large shadow as the new leader of the Red Devils.  An offensive leader all season, Butler blasted 8 HR while notching 33 RBI. In the circle, Butler stepped it up when it mattered most, throwing back-to-back two-hit shutouts in District semi-finals and the District 1 6A championship game.

Second Team
Pitcher: Bri White, Sr., Coatesville
Catcher: Kasey Bryan, Sr., Great Valley
First Base: Payton Landis, So.,  Coatesville
Second Base: Rachel Lopez, So., Conestoga
Shortstop: Abby O’Connor, Sr., Oxford
Third Base: Cam Trotter, So., Henderson
Outfield: Gianna Coyle, So.,  Oxford
Outfield: Paige Olson, Fr., West Chester East
Outfield: Grace Abbonizio,Fr.,  Henderson

Honorable Mention
Avon Grove: Morgan DeFeo, Olivia Kunitsky, Meg Nolan
Bishop Shanahan: Katie Newton, Annie Weyand, Hanna Keiper
Coatesville: Maggie Kane, Steph Jacoby, Maddie Fleming
Conestoga: Bridget Whitlow, Olivia Cepielik, Emme Rycyzyn
Downingtown East: Faith Willenbrock, Jenn Wilcox
Downingtown West: Caitlyn Coker, Hannah Greider
Great Valley: Morgan Orlowski, Alex Rubin
Kennett: Jamie Wessels, Maddie Bowe, Sarah Oscar
Octorara: Hallie Arnsberger, Emma Carr
Oxford: Brooke Stoltzfus
Unionville: Mel Hammond, Olivia Hojnacki, Anna DeShaies
West Chester East: Amelia Lark, MacKenzie Thompson, Amelia Andraos
West Chester Henderson: Madelyn Skinner, Corrine Ciarocchi
West Chester Rustin: Alexandra LaRosa, Maddie Fife, Nicole McCarthy
Villa Maria: Alyssa Viscardo, Marissa Bruder, Lisa Becker

Coach of the Year
Bill Mendenhall, Coatesville
Mendenhall was at the helm of the best hitting team in the county.  The Red Raiders hit .415 as a team, belting out 35 home runs, and averaged over 8 runs per game on the way to Coatesville’s first Ches-Mont title in over 30 years.