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Lakota West sophomore Ashley Sharp led team her team in runs batted in and led the GMC in wins on the mound. Photo taken during a game in April by Amanda Davidson.

A total of 12 Lakota high school softball players were recently selected to the Greater Miami Conference first and second teams. Lakota East had four first-team selections, while Lakota West had three.

Making the first team from Lakota East were junior Lea Buckenmyer (led team with a .432 batting average and with 19 wins), senior Ainsley Ellison (led team in runs, hits and stolen bases – she also hit .430) senior Alyssa Grevenkamp (hit .337) and senior Kim Rollins (hit .352).

Lakota West honorees included sophomore Alyssa Hedric (lead team in doubles and tied for lead in runs scored), senior Amanda Lahti (tied on team in runs scored, also hit .330) and sophomore Ashley Sharp (led team with 21 runs batted in and led GMC in wins with 20).

• Lakota East softball team statistics
• Lakota West softball team statistics

Second-team selections include sophomore Kadey Astrop, sophomore Taylor Fair and sophomore Gracie Sprockett, all from Lakota East; as well as sophomore Kathleen Burbrink and senior Jessica Burke, both from Lakota West.

Both Lakota varsity softball teams finished at the top of the GMC standings – Lakota West took first place with a 23-6 overall record and a 16-2 mark within the GMC, while Lakota East finished in second place with 22-8 overall record and a 15-3 mark in conference play.

In addition to the student athletes, Lakota West head coach Keith Castner was selected as the GMC coach of the year. Castner earned his 300th career win in April and led Lakota West to its first GMC title since 2009.

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Ainsley Ellison, Alyssa Grevenkamp, Alyssa Hedric, Amanda Lahti, Ashley Sharp, Gracie Sprockett, Jessica Burke, Kadey Astrop, Kathleen Burbrink, Lakota East, Lakota East softball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota West, Lakota West softball, Lakota West sports, Lea Buckenmyer, Taylor Fair

Lakota East senior Sara Pearson took advantage of a second chance and hit an eighth-inning home run in what turned out to be a 2-1 victory against the previously unbeaten Fairfield Indians.

After nearly popping out in foul territory to Fairfield first baseman Jeanie Taggart, Pearson took the next pitch and launched it over the fence in right-center field for a game-winning home run in the top of the eighth inning.

“You can’t give a player like Pearson a second chance,” Fairfield head coach Brenda Stieger said. “We really should have had that foul ball, but you give a good player a second chance and those things can happen.”

>>>PHOTOS: FAIRFIELD AT LAKOTA EAST<<<

Fairfield had an opportunity to comeback in the bottom of the eighth, but Pearson pitched a perfect inning and recorded the last out by striking out junior Kelly Browning.

“She is such a competitor,” Lakota East head coach Steve Castner said of Pearson. “She wants the ball on the mound, in the circle, every game … she wants to be the girl at the plate with the game on the line. A lot of athletes aspire to that, but only really good athletes want it.”

Pearson, who has signed on to play at the University of Memphis, dominated the Indians at the plate and on the mound. She went 3-for-4 as a hitter and struck out nine in a complete game performance as pitcher. The win improves Pearson’s record to 10-1 on the season. (more…)

Posted in: Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Brenda Stieger, Erica D’Arcy, Kadey Astrop, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Lea Buckenmyer, Princeton, Sara Pearson, softball, Steve Castner