Six Ladies Earn Spots On All-SCAC Team
Six Centenary Ladies earned All- Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference recognition, the league office announced on Thursday.
Lawrenceville, Ga. – Six Centenary Ladies earned All- Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference recognition, the league office announced on Thursday.
Freshman right-fielder Mackenzie Cox (Alexandria, La.) was named First Team All-SCAC, fellow freshman Cambry Bates (Readhimer, La.) earned Second-Team All-SCAC honors as a designated player, and four Ladies earned Honorable Mention recognition.
Junior P Ashley Hunter (Benton, La.), freshman P Hailee Leger (Belle Chasse, La.), senior C Erin Lewis (Leesville, La.), and sophomore UT Kaylea Patridge (Las Vegas, Nev.) were all Honorable Mention selections. Centenary placed at least six players on the All-SCAC team for the fourth-straight time.
The Ladies, fresh off of an appearance in the championship round of the 2021 SCAC Championship in Kerrville, Texas, finished the season 18-20 overall and went 8-11 in conference play during the regular season and then caught fire in the postseason, winning three of four games to reach the championship round for the first time in program history. Centenary, the No. 5 seed, fell by a score of 2-1 to No. 1 seed Texas Lutheran on Monday.
Centenary won a pair of games on Sunday to reach the championship round, the second victory giving head coach Mark Suire 100 career wins, as the Maroon and White were facing elimination in both games after the tournament transitioned into a modified single elimination format on Sunday following two days of inclement weather.
Cox had a brilliant freshman season for the Ladies as she batted a team-best .373 with a team-leading 44 hits and 24 runs scored. She boasted an impressive .444 on-base-percentage (first on team) and slugged .466, which was second-best on the Ladies. She drove in eight runs and had seven extra-base hits (four triples and three doubles), and stole 21 bases while only being caught four times. In 118 at-bats she only struck out 16 times while walking nearly as many times (13).
The rookie leadoff batters for the Ladies all season had 11 multi-hit games during the season which included a single-game, season-best four hits against Schreiner on April 24. Cox went 7-8 at the plate in a doubleheader that day against the Mountaineers with two doubles, two runs scored, and five stolen bases. She went 5-15 in the SCAC Championship with an RBI, a triple, two walks, and five runs scored. Cox ranked in the top 10 in the SCAC during the regular season in batting average, OBP, hits, walks, and stolen bases.
Cox also set or tied several division-III era (2012-present) single-game and season records. Her batting average is the sixth best in a single season, OBP is fifth best, and her 44 hits are tied for the fifth-most in a single season in the span. Her four triples are also a new D3 era single-season record. Her 21 stolen bases are fourth-most and her four hits versus Schreiner last month are the most in a single game in the D3 era.
Bates, another terrific freshman, was a versatile player all season for the Ladies as she was outstanding at the plate as a designated player and also pitched. She hit .309 (tied for second on team) with a .350 OBP and slugged a team-high .468. She had 29 hits, third on team, with seven runs scored and 10 RBI to rank fourth on the team. Her three home runs ranked second on the team and she had six doubles, second on the Ladies. She also made 11 appearances in the circle and went 1-1 with a 4.20 ERA.
Hunter was a steady pitcher all season long for the Maroon and White. She went 6-5 with a 3.70 ERA and tossed three complete games with one save. Her six wins, ERA, saves, and complete games all ranked second on the team. She made 19 total appearances and 14 starts.
Leger, like Cox and Bates, had a stellar freshman campaign. She pitched a team-high 10 complete games and earned a team-high four saves. She went 9-10 with an impressive 2.13 ERA. She led the team in appearances (27) and starts (20) and pitched a team-high 125 innings. She allowed just 38 earned runs with 94 strikeouts and walked only 20 batters all season. Leger ranked in the top five in the regular season in the league in ERA, strikeouts, and saves. Leger's four saves are tied for second-most in the country in division III. Leger's 2.13 ERA sets a new D3 era record for lowest ERA in a single season and her four saves ties a single-season record.
Lewis, one of just two seniors on the team this season, slugged a team-high four home runs this season and had a team-leading 19 RBI. The clutch catcher collected 26 hits, 13 runs, and also hit five doubles. She hit .250 for the season and had an OBP of .308 and slugged .413. Lewis had a big finish to her career as she went 7-14 (.500) in the SCAC Championship with seven RBI, three runs scored, two doubles, and a home run.
Patridge followed up a great freshman season with a sensational sophomore campaign. She finished second on the team in seven different statistical categories and third in another. She hit .309 with a .366 OBP and slugged .400 with 20 stolen bases while only being caught seven times. She had 34 hits, scored 20 runs, had 17 RBI, three doubles and hit a pair of triples and one homer. She was 6-13 at the plate in the SCAC Championship with three RBI, four runs scored, a double, a walk, and a stolen base.
Leger and Hunter were each named SCAC Pitcher of the Week during the season and Lewis was named SCAC Hitter of the Week. Leger was also recognized as the LSWA Pitcher of the Week once during the season by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
A link to the Ladies' complete schedule can be found here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/sball/2020-21/schedule
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