2015 MSC Championship (Live Video/Stats)
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- After helping post a 19-17 regular-season record, earning the No. 4 seed at this week's Mid-South Conference Softball Championship, four University of Pikeville student-athletes were selected to the all-conference teams at the annual MSC awards banquet on Wednesday.
The four from UPIKE, including pitcher Sydney Morris, outfielder Kayla Brown, pitcher Hawley Ill and third baseman Breana Pineda, were named All-MSC for the first time.
Morris led the group, earning first-team honors, while the other three were voted to the second team. The MSC coaches voted on the awards, but were not able to vote for their own players.
Lindsey Wilson's Chelsea Showers was named MSC Player of the Year, Campbellsville's Victoria Decker was named the league's top pitcher and its Jacqueline Roof is the conference's top freshman. Coach of the Year honors went to Campbellsville's Shannon Wathen.
Morris had one of the best pitching seasons in recent UPIKE history, ranking 12th in the NAIA in batters struck out per nine innings (8.8). Although pitching 62 less innings than a season ago, Morris' strikeout numbers have skyrocketed entering the postseason from 89 in 2014 to 136.
The Cincinnati native has a 9-6 record in the circle with a 2.41 ERA, including just 21 walks. Batters are hitting just 225 against her and she had a standout performance against No. 7 Campbellsville, picking up a win while striking out seven, allowing just two runs and not handing out a walk in seven innings.
Brown hit .250 for UPIKE, adding four doubles, two triples and 15 stolen bases while also driving in eight runs. Ill was the team's hitting leader at .323 with five doubles, two triples a home run and 12 RBIs while going 7 for 8 stealing bases. Pineda finished just below .300 at .298 with a team-best five home runs, five doubles, two triples and a team-leading 22 RBIs.
UPIKE opens play in the MSC Championship at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday against No. 5-seed St. Catharine (17-25) at Michael O. Buchanon Park. Win or lose, the Bears will play again at 5 p.m. in the double-elimination format.
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