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Leopard All-League selections (L-R): Ashley Meneely, Delaney Baylor, Ashley Paul, Melissa Carlson (Player of the Year), Tara Allis, Lynsey Padilla, Diandra Burns (applerosephotography.com)Softball Places Seven On All-SCIAC Teams
Seven members of the University of La Verne softball team were selected to the 2009 All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) teams as determined by the league coaches.
Headlining the group is senior outfielder Melissa Carlson, who earned SCIAC Player of the Year honors. A product of San Dimas High School, Carlson hit .462 this season and led the conference in hits (60), runs scored (52) and stolen bases (27) while also leading her team in home runs (7). A First Team All-SCIAC selection in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Carlson becomes the first Leopard to earn Player of the Year honors since Kelley Silagyi in 2006 and is the eighth different La Verne player to earn that distinction in school history.
Senior Lynsey Padilla, sophomore Ashley Paul along with freshmen Diandra Burns and Tara Allis were named First Team All-SCIAC while senior Ashley Meneely and sophomore Delaney Baylor earned Second Team All-SCIAC honors.
Padilla is a three-time First Team selection, hitting .327 with 6 homers and a team-high 40 runs batted in this season. She played multiple infield positions en route to earning First Team All-SCIAC accolades as a utility player. Paul earns her second straight First Team selection at shortstop after batting .384 with 25 runs scored. It is the second All-league honor for Paul this season, having earned Second Team All-SCIAC in basketball.
Burns hit .443 in her debut season including a league-best .522 in conference games. She enjoyed a slugging percentage of .870 in SCIAC play with 4 homers and 24 RBI as an outfielder. Allis helped stabilized the Leopard infield from her third base position while bolstering the offense with a .305 average along with 25 runs, 8 doubles and 21 RBI.
Baylor was a workhorse on the mound this season for the Leopards, posting a 15-7 overall record along with a 2.36 earned run average in addition to registering 100 strikeouts. Meneely earned an All-league nod as a second baseman, hitting .304 on the year with 15 RBI and 13 runs scored.
La Verne finished the regular season with a 27-13 record including a 16-8 mark in conference play to earn the #2 seed in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament.
