Top notch: Lady Mikes take top honors on GCM All-County Softball Team
Carmichaels came within one game of winning the PIAA Class A softball championship and the Lady Mikes dominated the top honors of the Greene County Messenger All-County Softball Team.
Carmichaels, under the direction of Dave Briggs, battled in one of the toughest Class A softball sections in the state but still managed to tie WPIAL champion Chartiers-Houston for the Section 2-A crown. The Lady Mikes fell to the Lady Bucs in the district semifinals but defeated them thanks to a thrilling comeback in the PIAA semifinals to reach the state championship game. Carmichaels lost a tough battle to Dubois Central Catholic, 2-0, in the final.
Briggs is the Coach of the Year, guiding the Lady Mikes to a 19-4 record.
Carmichaels sophomore shortstop Carys McConnell, who led the county with seven home runs and 32 RBIs in the regular season, is the Player of the Year and sophomore pitcher Bailey Barnyak, who had an 18-3 overall record and led the county in strikeouts with 167 during the regular season, is the Pitcher of the Year.
The Play of the Year was McConnell无毛视频檚 double on a 3-0 pitch with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to bring in the fleet Barnyak with the winning run in the Lady Mikes无毛视频� dramatic 5-4 walk-off win over Chartiers-Houston in the PIAA semifinals as Carmicchaels rallied from a late 4-0 deficit to win.
McConnell and Barnyak head up the First Team which also includes Lady Mikes catcher Kaitlyn Waggett, who hit .531 with 30 runs, and first baseman Ali Jacobs, who had two or her team无毛视频檚 three hits in the state final.
Also on the First Team are West Greene无毛视频檚 Payton Gilbert, who batted .435 with 31 RBIs in the regular season while going 9-7 in the circle, Marissa Tharp, who hit .308 with 26 runs, Emmaline Beazell, who hit .297 with 18 RBIs and 20 runs.
Filling out the First Team are Gina Tedrow and Dani Stockdale of Waynesburg Central.
Carmichaels, Waynesburg Central, West Greene and Jefferson-Morgan qualified for the playoffs with the Lady Pioneers, coached by Bill Simms, upsetting previously unbeaten Frazier in the quarterfinals and the Lady Rockets, coached by Rich Rush, defeating Carylnton in the first round to extend their streak of winning at least one playoff game to five years in a row.
The complete GCM All-County Softball Team is listed below:
Player of the Year
Carys McConnell, Carmichaels
Pitcher of the Year
Bailey Barnyak, Carmichaels
Coach of the Year
Dave Briggs, Carmichaels
Play of the Year
Carys McConnell无毛视频檚 walk-off double that scored Bailey Barnyak in Carmichaels无毛视频� PIAA semifinal win over Chartiers-Houston.
First Team
Carys McConnell, Carmichaels
Bailey Barnyak, Carmichaels
Payton Gilbert, West Greene
Kaitlyn Waggett, Carmichaels
Ali Jacobs, Carmichaels
Marissa Tharp, West Greene
Emmaline Beazell, West Greene
Gina Tedrow, Waynesburg Central
Dani Stockdale, Waynesburg Central
Second Team
Ellie Maker, Waynesburg Central; Megan Voithofer, Carmichaels; Emilee Bazzoli, Kayla Larkin, Brooklynne Snyder, Ashlynn Snyder, Jefferson-Morgan; Makenna Lotspeich, Alexis Perry, Devan Clark, Treslee Weston, Mapletown; Sammi Zimmerman, Kylee Davis, West Greene.