Upstate's Beasley & KSU's Cutting Highlight @ASUNSoftball Postseason Awards
Upstate's Beasley & KSU's Cutting Highlight @ASUNSoftball Postseason Awards
Full All-Conference Team and Postseason Awards
LakePoint, Ga. - USC Upstate's Karla Beasley takes home the ASUN Player of the Year joined by Kennesaw State's Alley Cutting who earns the ASUN Pitcher of the Year, announced by the league office on Tuesday. The Defensive Player of the Year was awarded to Lipscomb's Hannah Devault, while the Freshman of the Year honor went to Patricia Awald of the Owls.
In her final season with the Spartans, Beasley leads the team with a .392 batting average and has started all 48 games this season. The senior also leads the ASUN in home runs (15), on-base percentage (.518), slugging percentage (.808) and walks (33). Beasley has a total of 44 career home runs which is two away from tying second all-time in Spartan program history. She earns her second ASUN First Team All-Conference selection as an infielder at first base.
Kennesaw State's Alley Cutting garners the Owls' first ASUN Pitcher of the Year award since 2007 after an impressive sophomore campaign in the circle. Cutting made 21 starts for the Owls posting a 14-8 record and 1.55 ERA while recording four shutouts and three saves on the season. She racked up 146 strikeouts, which ranks third in the league along with a 7-1 record in conference play. Cutting makes her second-consecutive appearance on the ASUN All-Conference First Team after being named the 2017 ASUN Freshman of the Year.
Lipscomb's first-ever Defensive Player of the Year honor went to the Hannah Devault who claims the highest fielding percentage (.982) among ASUN second basemen. The sophomore has committed only three errors all season and has a total of nine double plays on the year, which ranks second in the league. Devault started all 47 games for Lipscomb, recording 103 putouts and 58 assists.
For the second-straight season, Kennesaw State claims the ASUN Freshman of the Year honor as Patricia Awald had an amazing debut for the Owls. Awald boasts a .378 batting average, with a team-leading 39 runs scored, 13 home runs, 40 RBIs, .741 slugging percentage and .488 on-base percentage. She owns 51 hits and 10 doubles on the season, in addition to ranking eighth in the nation among freshmen in home runs.
Pete D'Amour of Kennesaw State was voted ASUN Softball Coach of the Year for the first time in only his second year with the Owls. D'Amour guided the Owls to their third ASUN Regular Season title and first outright title since 2007. Kennesaw State claimed the No. 1 seed in the upcoming ASUN Championship after going 14-3 in conference play and 36-15 overall.
The ASUN Softball Championship begins Wednesday, May 9 in DeLand, Fla. as No. 3 USC Upstate takes on No. 6 Stetson at 3 PM ET for the opening matchup, followed by No. 4 Lipscomb and No. 5 Jacksonville at 5:30 PM ET. The winners will advance to play No. 1 Kennesaw State and No. 2 FGCU the next day.
Superlative Awards
Player of the Year: Karla Beasley, USC Upstate
Pitcher of the Year: Alley Cutting, Kennesaw State
Defensive Player of the Year: Hannah Devault, Lipscomb
Freshman of the Year: Patricia Awald, Kennesaw State*
Coach of the Year: Pete D'Amour, Kennesaw State*
* - Denotes unanimous selection for award
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