ATLANTA, Ga. – The most versatile player of the conference was rewarded in multiple ways. Romona McLeod received the Utility Player of the Year and led a large Albany State contingent as part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball awards.
McLeod anchored the Lady Ram outfield and she was a key cog in the ASU pitching trio as part of her resume for the league's Utility Player of the Year. McLeod also added All-SIAC First Team outfielder and relief pitcher to her awards along with starting pitcher Kaliyah Smith, Madison Hurt and outfielder Keyatta Ayers to the First Team. The trio of catcher De'Laynie Hollis, first baseman Morgan Brown and designated player Trista Murphy earned Second Team honors.
"I am proud of these young ladies!" said ASU Head Coach Jason Bryant. "They have worked hard. At one time, they led the country in batting average! We finished number 1 in SIAC in batting average, third in fielding and third in pitching and we won 29 regular season games!"
McLeod from Pike Road, Ala., registered a .400 batting average with 64 hits in 160 at bats. The junior led the Lady Rams with 53 RBI, 17 doubles and a .556 slugging percentage. She added 40 runs scored, a triple, two home runs and 15 stolen bases.
In the circle, McLeod recorded a 2.88 ERA over 73 innings of work with an 8-3 record over 18 appearances. She was part of 3.5 shutouts, five complete games and struck out 28 batters faced.
For the second year in a row, Hurt picked up the First Team acclaim as the top second baseman. The lead-off hitter led the SIAC in hitting at .460 with 75 hits in 163 at bats. She also was tops with 59 runs scored and 52 stolen bases to her credit. The Phoenix City, Ala., junior rounded out her numbers with six doubles, a triple and 16 RBI.
Joining McLeod in the outfield, Ayers was one of the other three First Team members in the position. The senior lined 56 hits in 138 at bats for a .406 average. The Rockmart, Ga., native scored 43 runs and lined a pair of doubles and a pair of triples with a team-best four home runs. Ayers drove home 33 runs with a .536 slugging percentage, a team-high 23 walks and stole 21 bases.
Smith emerged as the top ASU pitcher and posted a 12-4 overall record over 19 appearances and 93.1 innings. The junior from Fayetteville, Ga., recorded a 3.30 ERA with a 1.52 WHIP, 10 complete games and 89 strikeouts. The third-year player also hit .364 while playing the outfield when she didn't pitch with 20 hits in 55 at bats with one double, a triple and one home run with 10 RBI.
Moving onto the Second Team, Murphy gave another quality bat to the lineup as the Designated Player. The junior out of Ludowici, Ga., hit .360 with 41 hits out of 114 at bats. She scored 18 runs with eight doubles, a pair of home runs, drove in 28 runners to go with a .482 slugging percentage and 13 walks. Along with her hitting, Murphy led the ASU pitchers with 120.1 innings in the circle. She fanned a team-best 122 hitters with 13 complete game, a no-hitter, 5.5 shutouts, and a 3.43 ERA to go with an 8-10 record.
Hitting fifth in the Lady Ram lineup, Brown added her name to the Second Team list at First Base. She lined 43 hits in 127 at bats with a .339 average. The junior from Thompson Station, Tenn., product scored 23 times, laced 14 doubles and two homers with 27 RBI and a .498 slugging percentage.
Behind the plate, Hollis of Snellville, Ga., logged a .339 average of her own with 21 hits in 62 at bats. The junior catcher also crossed home plate 16 times, belted six doubles and one home run with 16 RBI.
