Softball
Game Recap

May 8, 2009

KU DOMINATES 2009 ALL-PSAC EAST AWARDS

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — After a third straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division title, the Kutztown University softball team is now reigning in the postseason awards.

KU won three of the four top honors in the PSAC East with head coach Judy Lawes being named the Coach of the Year, Steph Denlinger (sr. Harleysville/Souderton) was named the Player of the Year and Katlin Arbogast (jr. Ambler/Wissahickon) was named the Pitcher of the Year.

In addition to Denlinger and Arbogast, Krista Cameron (sr. Formosa, ONTARIO/Sacred Heart), Ashley Fitzgerald (sr. Kitchener, ONTARIO/Resurrection), Maria Schiavo (jr. Old Forge/Old Forge) and Mary Hoch (so. Somerton/St. Hubert) were named to the All-PSAC East first team.

Kim Morrison (sr. Newmarket, ONTARIO /Sir William Mulock) was named to the All-PSAC East second team.

For Lawes, this is the fifth time in her career she has been named the PSAC East Coach of the Year. With a career record of 638-371-2, she has won the award in 1989, 1994, 2000, 2007 and 2009.

Denlinger, who was the 2006 PSAC East Rookie of the Year and the 2007 PSAC East Player of the Year, broke the NCAA Division II all-time record for home runs in a career with 77 and walks with 157. She hit 21 home runs this season en route to earning her fourth consecutive All-PSAC East first team selection. She leads the Golden Bears and PSAC East in batting average (.430), hits (65), home runs (21), RBIs (59) and walks (34).

Arbogast, already KU’s all-time strikeout, wins, shutouts and innings pitched leader as a junior, earns her third straight All-PSAC East first team nod. This is the second time she has been named the PSAC East Pitcher of the Year, as she won the award in 2007 when she also was named the PSAC East Rookie of the Year. She currently holds a 1.55 ERA and a 19-5 record with six shutouts and 17 complete games. She has struck out 195 batters in 175 2/3 innings and has held opponents to a .194 batting average.

Fitzgerald, last year’s PSAC East Player of the Year, earned her third consecutive All-PSAC East first team selection. She broke the KU all-time doubles record in a career with 53 entering her season and has since run that up to 65. Fitzgerald is batting .367 on season, with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs, totaling 47 home runs in her career which ranks second at KU.

Cameron has been honored by the PSAC all four years at KU, earning her third straight All-PSAC East first team selection this season. She was named to the second team as a freshman in 2006. Cameron hit 10 home runs to push her career total to 41. She’s batting .384 with 15 doubles, five triples, 49 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

Schiavo, who was a member of the second team in 2007 and 2008, was named to her first All-PSAC East first team this season. She has a .299 batting average with 34 runs scored and 14 RBIs. She is tied for third on the team with 55 hits.

Hoch also was named to the All-PSAC East first team for the first time in her career. The sophomore is 16-2 on the mound for the Golden Bears with a 1.59 ERA. She struck out 85 batters.

Morrison, who was a first team member in 2006, 2007 and 2008, was named to the second team this season. She batted .323 in 48 starts with nine doubles, a triple and four homers. She had 13 RBIs and 37 runs scored.

The only top honor not won by the Golden Bears was the Freshman of the Year, which was given to Rachel Gieringer of East Stroudsburg.