Heart Laurels Earned by Trio
Oskaloosa–Three Statesmen softball players received their first career league hardware as the all-Heart of America Athletic Conference awards were announced Thursday.
Third baseman Valeria Quiroga (Fr., San Benito, Texas, Sociology) was one of 20 players named to the first team, while first baseman Lexi Riccardi (Sr., Redwood City, Calif., Biology) garnered second-team recognition (20 players on the second team). Catcher Lexi Resa (Jr., Liberty, Mo., Biology) was part of the 20-person honorable-mention list as well.
The awards are the first for all three players. The trio helped William Penn to a 20-30 campaign, including a 13-22 Heart record. WPU finished in the top six in the league tournament, highlighted by upsetting top seed Grand View in the first round.
Quiroga hit .349 (44-for-126) during the spring with six doubles and 11 home runs. She also posted 29 RBIs and scored 26 times. The third baseman owned a .659 slugging percentage, and courtesy of her school single-season record of 36 walks, she had a .491 on-base clip. Quiroga tallied a season-best seven-game hitting streak with 12 multi-hit performances (high of three on three occasions).
At the conclusion of the Heart Championship, the freshman ranked fourth in home runs per game, fifth in home runs, sixth in slugging percentage, and seventh in on-base clip.
Riccardi also notched a .349 hitting mark (53-for-152) with 11 doubles, three triples, and five home runs. She drove in 25, scored 26 times herself, and had a .559 slugging clip and a .398 on-base percentage. The first baseman posted a season-high nine-game hitting streak and managed 15 multi-hit showings (high of three twice).
The senior was seventh in the Heart in triples and eighth in triples per game (0.06).
Resa ended the year hitting .275 (46-for-167) with seven doubles, two home runs, 15 RBIs, and 25 runs scored. The catcher’s slugging percentage was .353, while her on-base mark was .309. The junior produced a five-game hitting streak and had at least two hits on 14 occasions (had three hits three times).
Resa’s 167 at-bats ranked eighth in the conference; she was also sixth in at-bats per game (3.34).
Kelli Gorman of Central Methodist was tabbed as Heart Player of the Year, while Hannah Pals of Grand View and Keighlan Cronin of Central Methodist shared Pitcher of the Year laurels. Pals was also picked as Newcomer of the Year, while Micaela Harcrow of Central Methodist collected Freshman of the Year accolades. Lou Yacinich (GVU) earned Coach of the Year honors from his peers.
