May 9, 2011

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Five UNCG softball players earned postseason Southern Conference honors, with three earning All-SoCon distinction and two taking spots on the all-freshman team.

Alex Emeterio, Kaitlin Merkt and Eileen Horsmon were named All-Southern Conference, while Katelyn Bedwell and Aisha Figueroa were named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team.

Emeterio was a first-team selection for the second straight season. The junior first baseman from Murrieta, Calif., is hitting a team-best .350 on the season and leads the squad with 56 hits, 19 walks and a .425 slugging percentage. She also had 16 multi-hit games on the year, including a team-best five three-hit games and one four-hit game. Her lone home run of the season was a game-winner, as her solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning lifted UNCG to a 3-2 win over Samford on May 1.

The SoCon Player of the Week for May 2, Emeterio is third in school history in career batting average (.353) and entered the top 10 in career hits (177), doubles (34) and triples (six) this season. She is also in the top 10 in slugging percentage (.499) and walks (74).

Merkt earned a spot on the second team for the second time in her career. Also a second-team pick in 2009, the Irvine, Calif., native is hitting a career-best .340 on the year with nine homers and a career-high 31 runs, 39 RBIs and .582 slugging percentage, all team highs. Merkt has also turned in a team-high 17 multi-hit games on the season thus far.

The redshirt senior shortstop is third in school history in career home runs with 32 and is fourth in career RBI with 112. She is also in the top 10 in walks (59) and slugging percentage (.500).

Horsmon, a sophomore designated player, earned second-team honors at the position for the second straight season. The Dunkirk, Md., native is hitting .280 on the season with three home runs and 14 RBI. Horsmon hit .304 with all three of her homers in 20 SoCon contests. She had a pair of home runs against Furman on March 26 and hit another against Samford on May 1.

This season, Horsmon has moved into the top 15 in school history in both career batting average (.306) and slugging percentage (.459).

The three selections are just one shy of the school record set in 2000 and equaled in 2003. Three Spartans have been selected in each of the last two years, and UNCG has had at least one All-SoCon pick in each of the last 12 seasons.

Bedwell, a catcher from Surrey, British Columbia, leads all UNCG rookies and is third on the team with a .326 batting average. She is slugging .463, the second-best mark on the team, and has six doubles, two triples and a home run among her 31 hits. She has seen action in 38 games with 34 starts. Bedwell has also committed just one error on the season and leads the Spartans with a .994 fielding percentage. She has thrown out eight runners trying to steal.

Figueroa has started all 54 games at third base for UNCG this season. The Virginia Beach, Va., native is hitting .275 with 28 runs scored and a team-best 20 stolen bases in 22 attempts. Figueroa has turned in 12 multi-hit games on the season, including a 3-for-4 effort against Samford on April 30. She has also had six multi-steal games, including a three-game stretch in which she swiped seven bases in as many attempts.

The two all-freshman selections were the most for UNCG since the award was introduced in 2009. Emeterio was selected to the inaugural team, while Horsmon took the honor last season.

UNCG finished the regular season with a 24-30 overall record and 10-14 SoCon mark. The sixth-seeded Spartans will face third-seeded Georgia Southern, the tournament host, at the Southern Conference Championship on Wednesday. UNCG will face the Eagles at 7 p.m. in Statesboro, Ga.

2011 Southern Conference Softball All-Conference Teams

First Team
Pitcher: Alexa Datko, College of Charleston
Pitcher: Kandice Irwin, Chattanooga
Catcher: Vivian Morimoto, Chattanooga
1st Base: Alex Emeterio, UNCG
2nd Base: Morgan Hughey, Furman
Shortstop: Jessie Homesley, Furman
3rd Base: Tiffany Baker, Chattanooga
Outfield: Allie Cashion, Appalachian State
Outfield: Lyndsey Stiles, Chattanooga
Outfield: Marie Fogle, Georgia Southern
Designated Player: Michelle Fuzzard, Chattanooga
Utility Player: Meghan Smith, Appalachian State

Second Team
Pitcher: Hannah Dow, Appalachian State
Pitcher: Allie Miles, Georgia Southern
Catcher: Kaitlyn Piazzolla, Elon
1st Base: Kasey Tydingco, Chattanooga
2nd Base: Sara Poteat, Chattanooga
Shortstop: Kaitlin Merkt, UNCG
3rd Base: Katie Boyd, Appalachian State
Outfield: Carly Corthell, College of Charleston
Outfield: Carleigh Nester, Elon
Outfield: Tomeka Watson, Elon
Designated Player: Eileen Horsmon, UNCG
Utility Player: Megen Smith, Georgia Southern

All-Freshman Team
Carly Corthell, College of Charleston
Kelsey Hodgson, College of Charleston
Lizzy Vaughn, College of Charleston
Carleigh Nester, Elon
Lauren Collier, Furman
Allie Miles, Georgia Southern
Katelyn Bedwell, UNCG
Aisha Figueroa, UNCG
Nicole Bobrowski, Samford
Natalie Powers, Chattanooga

Player of the Year
Michelle Fuzzard, Chattanooga

Pitcher of the Year
Alexa Datko, College of Charleston

Freshman of the Year
Allie Miles, Georgia Southern

Coach of the Year
Frank Reed, Chattanooga

- UNCG -