ADA – The East Central University softball team saw six student-athletes named to the 2017 All-Great American Conference Softball teams, as announced at the banquet before the 2017 GAC Championship Tournament, May 4-6 in Bentonville, Ark.
The Tigers were represented on the All-GAC First Team by junior
Alissa Taylor, saw sophomores
Mariah Ewy and
Aundrea Hamric on the second team and senior
Kelbie Crelia, junior
Claresha Clemons and sophomore
Breecia Crawford as honorable mentions.
Taylor led the Tigers during the 2017 regular-season, with a .401 batting average, 75 hits, 18 runs, 16 doubles, six home runs and 27 RBIs. Taylor started in all 55 games on the season and added 355 putouts and 18 assisted outs.
Ewy had a strong season for ECU, with 37 hits, 17 runs, 18 RBIs, 93 putouts and 108 assisted outs. Hamric, a quick outfielder that robbed several opponents of hits with diving catches, tallied 30 hits, 23 runs, three RBIs, 110 putouts and five assisted outs.
Crelia led the pitching staff with a 13-8 record, 2.58 ERA, six shutouts and 76 strikeouts. Clemons added a .300 batting average, 45 hits, 10 doubles, five home runs, 14 runs and 27 RBIs. Crawford played in 54 games, starting in 51 and tallied 39 hits, three doubles and home runs, 25 runs, 17 RBIs, 166 putouts and 29 assisted outs.
ECU also saw two players earn Crafton Tull Scholar Athlete awards. Senior
Carlee Henderson was a Crafton Tull Distinguished Scholar Athlete, while Crawford was one of three to earn the top award, as a Crafton Tull Elite Scholar Athlete (the highest GPA in the tournament field).
The Tigers will be making their sixth-straight trip to the GAC Championship Tournament, in six years of the league.
2017 GAC Softball Bracket
The Tigers finished the 2017 regular season with a 31-24 overall record and a 22-21 mark in the league to earn the No. 5 spot. ECU will face a very familiar opponent in No. 4 Arkansas-Monticello who the Tigers just finished going 3-1 in a four-game series with last weekend.
ECU will play its first game of the tournament, Thursday, May 4 at 1 p.m. against the Cotton Blossoms (33-21, 26-16) at Bentonville West. A win would put them in the 6 p.m. game at Tiger Athletic Complex and a loss would mean playing at 6 p.m. at Memorial Park.
