Mid-South Release

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Softball had six players named to the All-Mid-South Conference team as announced at the conference banquet. The six recipients is the most the team has earned since joining the Mid-South Conference in 2011. Allie Chapman was the Bears only representative on the first team while Holly Brabson, Hannah Dittoe, Ericka Leighty, Ali Thompson and Kirsti Yates earned second-team All-MSC honors.

Allie Chapman was the Bears lone representative on the first team. For the sophomore pitcher, it was her first time being named to the all-conference team. During the regular season, Chapman went 12-6 in the circle with a 2.80 ERA. She started a total of 18 games and pitched complete games in 16 of those contests, racking up 119 innings while allowing just 102 hits and 20 walks as opponents hit just .226 off of her. In the conference games, Chapman made 12 starts and threw a complete game 11 times. She was 9-3 overall in the conference with a 1.72 ERA as she allowed just 65 hits and 11 walks in 81.1 innings. She also threw no-hitters against Bluefield and Montreat during the regular season for two of her five shutouts.

The two seniors on the team, Ali Thompson and Ericka Leighty, were both named to the all-conference team for the fourth time of their SSU careers. Thompson split the starts in the circle with Chapman as she pitched game one of the doubleheaders all season long. She went 10-8 during the regular season with a 3.24 ERA. She threw a complete game in 17 of her 18 starts and recorded a save in her lone relief appearance. Over 111 innings of work, she allowed just 100 hits while striking out 103 batters. In the conference, she was 7-5 overall with a 2.56 ERA.

Out of the leadoff spot, Leighty batted .341 for the Bears this season with a .512 slugging percentage. She led the team with 29 runs scored and drove in 18 more during the regular season while going a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts. During conference play, the senior hit .386 in those games with a .557 slugging percentage, including a team-high 10 doubles, to go along with a .409 on-base percentage.

Junior Kirsti Yates was named second-team All-MSC as she earned all-conference accolades for the third time in as many seasons with the Bears. As the starting shortstop, Yates batted .328 during the regular season with eight doubles and seven home runs. Her 29 RBI were the second-most on the team while she also scored 21 runs. In MSC play, She batted .321 with seven of her doubles and five of her home runs coming during this time. Her slugging percentage went up to .603 in Mid-South contests.

Fellow junior Holly Brabson also earned second-team All-MSC honors. It was her first time earning all-conference honors in her SSU career. She posted a team-high .348 batting average during the regular season and had a .400 on-base percentage. During conference games, she batted .342 and drove in 13 runs while scoring 17 more. Her on-base percentage in those games went up to .405.

Freshman Hannah Dittoe was also named second-team All-MSC. In her freshman campaign, the third baseman hit .319 with a team-high nine home runs during the regular season while slugging a team-best .595. She also led the Bears with 32 RBI and was second on the team with 28 runs scored. During the conference schedule, her batting average soared to .364 while six of her home runs came against MSC teams. Against conference opponents, she had a slugging percentage of .662 with 20 RBI and 20 more runs scored.