8 area softball players make all-state
Eight area softball players, including five from PIAA Class A runner-up West Greene, were named to the Pennsylvania State Softball Coaches Association All-State Team Tuesday.
Pitcher Kiley Meek, catcher London Whipkey and outfielder Jersey Wise made the first team for the Pioneers. Shortstop Katie Lampe and outfielder Olivia Kiger made the second team in Class A.
In Class 2A, outfielder Bella Hess of Chartiers-Houston made first team and Carmichaels outfielder Sophia Zalar was named second team.
Second baseman Olivia Ulam of Canon-McMillan was named first team in Class 6A.
Meek blossomed at the plate and in the circle for the Pioneers. She led the team with 7 home runs and batted .435. She had a 21-2 record with a 2.00 ERA and held opponents to a .120 batting average against her. She finished the season with 137 strikeouts and just 41 walks.
Whipkey was a stone wall behind the plate and a beast when beside it. She hit .511, tops on the team. She also led the team in hits (45), singles (26), doubles (16) and total bases (69).
Wise roamed centerfield like it was a second home. At the plate, she hit .413 and led the team with four triples. She scored 40 runs, tied with Lampe for the team lead. Wise had a team-best 21 stolen bases.
Lampe batted .356 and played solid defense at shortstop. She was second to Whipkey with a .656 on-base percentage and had a .575 slugging percentage.
Kiger has a great arm and hit at a .342 clip. She tied for the team lead with four sacrifices.
Hess had a .629 batting average and did not strike out during the season. She led the team in most offensive categories, including runs (38) and average. In centerfield, she made only two errors in 34 chances and even stepped up to pitch and play shortstop when needed despite being left-handed.
Her on-base percentage was .671 and OPS was 1.591. In the playoffs, she batted .833 and is one of a handful of players who made first team two years in a row.
Zalar batted .373 but what made her special was her base-stealing ability. She stole 22 bases in 22 attempts. She score 18 runs in 19 games.
Ulom had .465 batting average, hit 8 doubles, had five home runs, drove in 21 RBI and scored 22 runs. She struck out only five times all season.
Ulom, a Division I recruit by St. Francis, is a first baseman but played second base to fill a need.
Ulam was the key player for the Big Macs and got to take her cuts against Mady Volpe of North Penn, who ended up as the Overall Pennsylvania Player of the year. The time came in the PIAA Class 6 semifinals. Ulam went 2-for-3.
The other Players of the Year are Faith Persing, a pitcher from Montgomery, in Class A; Kya Matter, a pitcher from Line Mountain, in Class 2A; Miranda Runco, a pitcher from Mid Valley, in Class 3A; Payton List,a pitcher from Beaver, in Class 4A; Lexi Rogers, a pitcher from Bellefonte, in Class 5A; and Reagan Millijen, a shortstop from Bethel Parl, in Class 6A.