The South Atlantic Conference Announces 2021 Softball Award Winners

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSac.com) – Lincoln Memorials Ty-Kella Goins was voted the 2021 South Atlantic Conference Softball Player of the Year, while teammate Emma Frost was named the Conference's Pitcher of the Year.  In addition, Wingate's Heaven Maness was named Freshman of the Year and Lincoln Memorial head coach Ritchie Richardson was tabbed the Coach of the Year for the second time, the SAC Office announced today.

Goins, a graduate student utility player from Ramseur, N.C., had an outstanding season at the plate as she finished the regular season as the league leader in plate appearances with 158, runs with 46, hits with 52 and doubles with 14. She ranks second in at bats with 137 and is fifth in runs batted in with 38. At the plate, she batted .380 for the year with nine home runs and two stolen bases. She was named SAC AstroTurf Player of the Week once this season.

Frost, a sophomore pitcher from Morristown, Tenn., leads the conference in wins with 16 while also throwing six complete games, posting a 2.09 earned run average with 140 strikeouts and just 24 walks in 123.2 innings of work. She was named SAC AstroTurf Pitcher of the Week for her efforts on two separate occasions. 

Maness, a freshman shortstop/utility player from Asheboro, N.C., had an outstanding start to her collegiate career for the Bulldogs. She batted .431 for the season to lead the conference while adding 11 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 27 runs scored and 35 RBI on the season. She also stole 14 bases and had a .468 on-base percentage with a .764 slugging percentage. 

Richardson earns his second conference Coach of the Year honor after leading the Railsplitters to their second SAC Regular Season Championship. Under his guidance, Lincoln Memorial has been ranked as high as No. 4 nationally and is currently under consideration in the NCAA Southeast Region Poll. Richardson's Railsplitters will enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed with a program-best 34-5 regular season record. 

The SAC Softball Awards will be presented at the 2021 SAC Softball Championship at Tusculum's J.C. Red Edmonds Field on the campus of Tusculum University will take place at the conclusion of game #2 on Friday, April 23 to honor the softball regular season award recipients.

2021 SAC Softball All-Conference 

All-SAC First Team

OF – Savannah Moorefield, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – McKenzie Barneycastle, Newberry
OF – Sydney Goertzen, Catawba
1B – Kayson Boatner, Anderson
2B – Ty-Kella Goins, Lincoln Memorial
SS – Sierra Hucklebee, Lincoln Memorial
3B – Heaven Maness, Wingate
DP – Audrey Petoskey, Lincoln Memorial
UTL/Non-P – Kylee Leonhardt, Lenoir-Rhyne

UTL/P - Aubrey Reep, Wingate
C – Katie Russell, UVA Wis
P – Emma Frost, Lincoln Memorial
P – Harlie Duncan, Anderson

All-SAC Second Team

OF – Macey Hughes, Carson-Newman
OF – Madison Henry, Lincoln Memoria
OF – Matti Cantrell, Anderson
1B – Emma Webb, Lincoln Memorial
2B – Katie Wilbur, Limestone
SS – Jordan Dean, Catawba
3B – Hannah Towery, Newberry
DP – McKenna Falwell, UVA Wise
UTL/Non-P – Carlee Brawley, Catawba

UTL/P - Lacie Rinus, Carson-Newman
C – KaraLynne Levi, Carson-Newman
P – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Alexandrea Sullivan, Newberry

Honorable Mentions

OF – Kelsi Scott, Coker

OF – Anna Alloway, Tusculu
OF – Paige Meyer, Newberr
1B – Haley Simonds, Newberry
2B – Sarah Barrett, UVA Wise
SS – Leah Sohm, Carson-Newman
3B – Ashley Evans, Mars Hill
DP – Hailey Hill, Newberry
UTL/Non-P – Ashley Parnell, Limestone

UTL/P - Lauren Rakes, Lenoir-Rhyne
C – Mikayla Goodwin, Coker
P – Madison Hunter, Catawba

P – Marissa Adame, Mars Hill

Freshman of the Year

Heaven Maness, Wingate

Player of the Year

Ty-Kella Goins, Lincoln Memorial

Pitcher of the Year

Emma Frost, Lincoln Memorial

Coach of the Year

Ritchie Richardson, Lincoln Memorial

SAC Statistical Champions

Team Batting Average – Carson-Newman (.330)
Team Slugging Percentage – Carson-Newman (.513)
Team On-Base Percentage – Lincoln Memorial (.423)
Team Runs Scored Per Game – Carson-Newman (6.91)
Team Home Runs Per Game – UVA Wise (1.22)
Team Triples Per Game – Coker (0.41)
Team Doubles Per Game – Lincoln Memorial (1.87)
Team Stolen Bases Per Game – Wingate (1.95)
Team ERA – Anderson (2.41)
Team Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio – Wingate (3.62)

Batting Average – Ashley Evans, Mars Hill (.427)
On-Base Percentage – Grace Gibson, Catawba (.530)
Slugging Percentage – Hannah Towery, Newberry (.894)
Home Runs Per Game – Hannah Towery, Newberry (0.37)
RBIs Per Game – Jordan Dean, Catawba (1.29)
Runs Scored Per Game – Shannon Smith, Carson-Newman (1.19)
Triples Per Game – Madison King, Coker (0.17)
Doubles Per Game – Shannon Smith, Carson-Newman (0.41)
Stolen Bases Per Game – Haley Cashwell, Wingate (0.79)
ERA – Sarah Middleton, Anderson (1.70)
Strikeouts Per Seven Innings – Marissa Adame, Mars Hill (10.7)
Pitching Victories – Emma Frost, Lincoln Memorial (15)