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| Lauren Swinehart |
Four members of The College of Wooster softball team were named to the 2011 All-North Coast Athletic Conference Team, as outfielder Lauren Swinehart earned second-team recognition, and second baseman Kelley Johnson, outfielder Erica Villa, and pitcher Jenn Horton each were made honorable mention, the league office announced Wednesday.
Swinehart is now a two-time all-conference pick after having been first-team a season ago. She recorded a team-leading .324 batting average and was 10th in the NCAC with a .549 slugging percentage, which was powered by her 13 extra base hits (7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR). The junior also knocked in 13 RBI, scored 21 runs, and stole seven bases. Swinehart was impressive in conference play, as she ended the season on a 9-for-20 (.450) run, and also hit an eighth-inning grand slam against Allegheny College (April 21) that gave Wooster an 8-4 win.
Johnson garners her first all-NCAC certificate, as the sophomore followed up her stellar freshman season with another solid effort. She batted .265 with a .461 slugging percentage, and her combination of speed and power helped her rank second in the league with four triples. Johnson also added six doubles and two home runs, tied for the team-lead with 13 RBI, and drew 20 walks, which was just shy of her team-record (22) she set a year ago. She notched a seven-game hit streak in NCAC play, and hit safely in 10-of-14 conference games in all, while also going a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts during that stretch.
Villa is making her second-consecutive appearance on the all-NCAC Team, as she was also an honorable mention last season as a freshman. The left-handed slap hitter batted .267, drew eight walks, and scored 12 runs as the usual No. 2 on the lineup card. Midway into the season she compiled a nine-game hitting streak, which was the longest on the team, and more impressive, she struck out just six times all year. Villa also excelled on the base paths, as she went 8-for-9 on stolen base attempts, which was the eighth-most steals in the NCAC.
Horton, Wooster's number one pitcher, is also making her return as an all-NCAC selection (honorable mention in 2010). The sophomore ranked among the league's top-10 in every major pitching category, including fourth in strikeouts per game (6.25), fifth in ERA (2.59), and seventh in wins (7). She struck out 94 batters on the season, highlighted by fanning nine in games against Nichols College (March 16) and St. Joseph's College (March 19) during the team's spring break trip. Perhaps her most dominant outing came in NCAC action against Kenyon College (April 30), where Horton pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just five hits and striking out seven.