West Alabama Watchman names 2014 All-County team

Sixteen Marengo County prep softball players have earned the distinction of All-County after turning in strong campaigns during the 2014 season. Each player receives a commemorate West Alabama Watchman All-County Softball 2014 T-shirt.

C – Abbey Latham, Demopolis – Fr. – Latham’s bat did plenty of work in her first varsity season.. But she gets this spot because of her defensive prowess behind the dish and her penchant for throwing out opposing base runners. Latham ended her year at the plate with a .420 batting average, 18 doubles, two homers, 28 RBIs, 28 runs scored and 24 stolen bases.

1B – Conner Etheridge, Marengo Academy – Sr. – It seems like Etheridge has been at the first base spot for the Lady Longhorns for at least half a decade. In her last year with the program, she hit an impressive .414 with two home runs, 13 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

2B – Chandler Stenz, Marengo Academy – Sr. – Aside from her usual stellar defense at second base, Chandler Stenz hit a county-high .511 as a senior while stroking six doubles and four triples, stealing 18 bases and scoring an astoundingly high 44 runs.

SS – Macey Petrey, Marengo Academy – Fr. – Macey Petrey’s freshman year could not have gone better. In addition to playing exceptionally well at shortstop for the Lady Longhorns, Petrey his .385 with a county-high three homers, 11 doubles, 18 RBIs and 15 runs scored.

3B – Brooke Smyly, Marengo Academy – Sr. – Smyly finished her senior season hitting .358 with a homer, 26 RBIs and 26 runs scored while batting in the middle of Marengo Academy’s lineup.

OF – Jessica Adams, Demopolis – So. – Speed kills and Jessica Adams flashed that in droves during her sophomore season. She finished the campaign with a county high 25 stolen bases and 22 runs scored.

OF – Kayla Marshall, Sweet Water – Fr. – Kayla Marshall had a breakout season for Sweet Water as a freshman, hitting .417 with 15 RBIs and 28 runs scored. She also handled center field duties for the Lady Bulldogs.

OF – Andrea Landrum, Sweet Water – Sr. – Andrea Landrum was her usual, consistent self as a senior, hitting .330 while drawing 27 walks and scoring 27 runs.

UTIL – Lydia Lewis, Sweet Water – 8th – As an eighth grader, Lewis was thrust into the shortstop role for her Sweet Water squad, hitting .333 with 25 walks and 27 runs scored.

UTIL – Riley King, Demopolis – Sr. – King had the second highest on-base percentage on the team, drew 20 walks and scored 21 runs, but this is all about defense. King was a true utility player in 2014. She started the season at first base, got moved to third because that is where she was needed and ultimately ended up at shortstop. And in all three positions, King played nearly flawless defense.

UTIL – Courtney Smith, Demopolis – Fr. – In her first varsity season, Smith hit a robust .357 with 20 stolen bases and 23 runs scored. She also played third base and shortstop.

UTIL – Anna Caroline Logan – So. – Logan went from backup catcher as a freshman to starting second baseman as a junior. She scored 12 runs, drove in 14 runs and stole 15 bases while hitting a stellar .317 and playing solid defense for the Lady Tigers.

DH – Baleigh Grace, Demopolis – Sr. – Grace was the most improved player in the county during her senior year. Having never seen significant varsity action after missing all of her junior season with an injury, Grace was hot early for the Lady Tigers and finished her year with a crisp .300 batting average and 19 RBIs, a number good enough for second on the team.

DH – Emily Black, Sweet Water – So. – Black was a pitcher, a first baseman and a designated hitter as a sophomore. But her bat remained consistent regardless of defensive assignment. She hit .365 with 10 doubles, 16 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

P – Andrea Edmonds, Marengo Academy – Jr. – Edmonds went 21-6 with a microscopic 1.32 ERA over 152 and two-thirds innings of work during her junior campaign. She struck out 180 batters and issued only 16 walks in the process.

P – Anna Michael Crocker, Marengo Academy – Jr. – Crocker is really a catcher by trade, but did pitch 17 innings to the tune of a 2-1 record and a 2.47 ERA as a junior. It is really her bat that earned her way onto this squad. Crocker hit .454 with nine doubles, four triples, a homer and a county-high 33 RBIs.