ATLANTA – The Great South Athletic Conference announced the 2016 Softball All-Conference award winners in a banquet to fete the recipients on Friday night and student-athletes for Salem swept the major awards. The Spirits' Kierston Garner captured Player of the Year, her teammate Brianna Morris won Pitcher of the Year and Logan Bowling collected Freshman of the Year. Their head coach at Salem, Scott Long, was named GSAC Softball Coach of the Year by his peers.
Kierston Garner caps an outstanding career at Salem in which she made the All-Conference Team all four seasons with the 2016 Softball Player of the Year honor. Garner left no doubt in collecting the prize as she led the league in almost every significant statistical category. She was tops in batting average (.500), RBI (45) and homeruns (10). Additionally, she led the conference in hits (57) and total bases (94) to cement her status as the top player in the GSAC.
The Spirits' Brianna Morris proved to be the most dominant pitcher in the circle in 2016 en route to capturing the Pitcher of the Year honor. She compiled a sterling 13-2 record on the season to lead the conference in victories. Morris twirled 10 complete games and one shutout while posting a 2.91 earned run average. She made 20 appearances and tossed 110.2 innings of outstanding work to earn the award for pitching excellence.
A freshman from Fuquay-Varina, N.C., Salem's Logan Bowling enjoyed a stellar first-year campaign in which she helped guide Salem to the top seed in the 2016 GSAC Softball Tournament. She batted .310 with 18 RBI and 20 runs scored in 2016. Bowling also showed a flair for the long ball in her first season at second base, smacking 6 homers on the year to finish third in the league in that category. She also slugged an impressive .552 in 2016, seventh-highest overall in the GSAC.
Salem's Scott Long just completed his fifth regular season at the helm of the Spirits' program and, following a 23-13 record in 2016, now owns a career record of 88-83-2. Long guided the Spirtis to their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament last year when they won the GSAC crown and will look to do the same in 2016. Long came to Salem after spending the past three seasons as the varsity softball head coach at Calvary Baptist High School in Winston-Salem. Long led Calvary to a 46-22 record over those four years, and was selected as the 2008 Triangle Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
2016 GSAC Softball Awards
Player of the Year: Kierston Garner of Salem
Pitcher of the Year: Brianna Morris of Salem
Freshman of the Year: Logan Bowling of Salem
Coach of the Year: Scott Long of Salem
Softball All-Conference Team
Catchers (2)
Christina Krider (Finlandia), Jennifer Vitarelli (Salem)
Infielders (7)
Casey Arnold (Agnes Scott), DeAnna Fulton (Agnes Scott), Serena Jaime (Finlandia), Logan Bowling (Salem), Briana Crumley (Salem), Kierston Garner (Salem), Jema Bravo (Wesleyan)
Outfielders (5)
Kelsea Hunter (Agnes Scott), Maggie Fritts (Salem), Montana Lineberger (Salem), Hannah Ogle (Salem), Tiffani Linville (Wesleyan)
Utility Players (2)
Annika Kahkonen (Finlandia), Katie Bilbrey (Salem)
Pitchers (4)
Molly Baker (Agnes Scott), Brianna Morris (Salem), Lauryn Smith (Salem), Mellissa Webb (Wesleyan)
Softball All-Freshman Team
DeAnna Fulton (Agnes Scott)
Jordan Josey (Agnes Scott)
Jordyn Portis (Agnes Scott)
Kristin Root (Agnes Scott)
Serena Jaime (Finlandia)
Ashley Huber (Pine Manor)
Katie Bilbrey (Salem)
Logan Bowling (Salem)
Hannah Nolan (Salem)
Bela Bravo (Wesleyan)
Softball All-Academic Team
Agnes Scott
Casey Arnold
Molly Baker
Finlandia
Heather Grimm
Keri Jewitt
Christina Krider
Amanda Youker
Mount Mary
Michelle Argenzio
Ashley Contreras
Payton Hintz
Nikki Festge
Pine Manor
Elizabeth Anderson
Ashley Whiteshield
Salem
Briana Crumley
Brianna Morris
Britani Peterson
Lauryn Smith
Wesleyan
Jema Bravo
Amber Gasparich
Rebecca Otwell
Mellissa Webb
Softball All-Sportsmanship Team
Agnes Scott: Alex Garcia
Finlandia: Annika Kahkonen
Mount Mary: Michelle Argenzio
Pine Manor: Vanessa Soto
Salem: Lauryn Smith
Wesleyan: Amber Gasparich