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May 29, 2007

Softball

Lady Mavs lose to finish third in tournament

Several players and the head coach earned high end-of-season honors.

Story by: Sean McNamara

Contributor to The Shorthorn

The Shorthorn: File art

Cara Hulme winds up against North Texas on April 25 at Allan Saxe Field. Hulme pitched the team’s last game May 12.

The No. 1-seeded Lady Mavericks’ season ended earlier than they would have liked this year after a 1-0 loss to No. 2 Sam Houston State, giving them a third-place finish in the Southland Conference Tournament on May 12 in Huntsville.

The Lady Mavs finished the season with an overall record of 36-16 and 19-5 in conference play.

In a pitching duel between freshman pitcher Cara Hulme and the Bearkats’ Brandi Crnkovic, it took eight innings for Sam Houston’s Lauren Burns to score the only run, as she blasted the game-winning home run over the left-field fence.

Sam Houston went on to defeat No. 3 Texas State for the conference title, its first since 1988. The Bearkats eventually fell to Texas A&M in the NCAA Regional in College Station.

Although the Lady Mavs were knocked out of the tournament, players and coaches received numerous individual awards for their performances.

Junior left fielder Katie Jones was named the 2007 Southland Conference Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year. Her regular-season hitting average was .442. She had 13 home runs and 34 RBIs. She is the first UTA player to receive the player of the year honor and second to earn hitter of the year.

Freshman pitching sensation Heather Fortenberry earned Freshman of the Year honors for her work in the circle. She ended the regular season with a 2.31 ERA, a record of 13-3 and a hitting average of .303.

Head coach Debbie Hedrick was named Coach of the Year, the second time she has earned this accolade. The first time was in 2003.

First baseman Dee Jay Nelson and right fielder Kristin Moore earned all-tournament honors for their standout individual performances in the 2007 SLC tournament.

Nelson also earned the 2007 Steve McCarty Citizenship Award, which recognizes SLC players who exhibit outstanding qualities in citizenship, sportsmanship, leadership and community service.

Lastly, Jones earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region Second-Team honors.