Northwest Herald All-Area Softball team

Pitchers

Danielle Simons

Marengo, sr.

Simons, the Northwest Herald Player of the Year, faced 701 batters and gave up just 40 runs – 28 earned – and struck out 196 while scattering 129 hits and issuing 45 walks in 170.67 innings of work. She batted .400 with a .573 slugging percentage and a .481 on-base percentage.

Lindsay Efflandt

Cary-Grove, fr.

Efflandt led the Trojans to their first-ever Fox Valley Conference Valley Division, regional and sectional titles. Efflandt finished with a 0.99 ERA and a 28-4 record. She batted .378 with 29 RBIs and six doubles.

Lindsay Melson

Harvard, so.

Melson went 21-9 overall and pitched all but two games for the Hornets. She faced 785 batters and struck out 307 while walking 65 and allowing 35 earned runs for a 1.34 ERA. Melson also batted .375 with a .453 on-base percentage.

Johanna Turner

Prairie Ridge, sr.

Turner went 18-6 this season with a 1.43 ERA and walked just nine players for the Wolves. Although she started the season slowly, she tossed two no-hitters and helped Prairie Ridge to a FVC Fox Division title and a regional championship.

Marissa Lombardo

Jacobs, jr.

Lombardo was a big reason behind the Golden Eagles’ postseason run to the Class 4A sectional final. She finished with a 15-5 overall record and a 2.5 ERA with 100 strikeouts in 139 innings of work.

Catcher

Jenna Mychko

Huntley sr.

Mychko, signed with Illinois, batted .531 with 13 doubles, seven home runs, 34 RBIs, .951 slugging percentage and a .993 on-base percentage. She drew 14 intentional walks and 26 total walks in her final campaign with the Red Raiders.

Infielders

Amanda Hart

Marengo sr.

Hart, a four-year varsity player, batted .453 with a .613 slugging percentage, .472 on-base percentage, 40 RBIs, 10 doubles, six triples, 62 hits and 45 runs scored. She had 70 putouts at second base and fielded with 94 percent accuracy.

Anna Patras

Prairie Ridge, sr.

Patras, a four-year starter for the Wolves, batted .397 with 35 RBIs and five home runs in the No. 2 slot this season. She has played all over the field in her four years and made the switch from the outfield back to the infield this year.

Chloe Montgomery

Marengo, jr.

Montgomery batted .472 with a .780 slugging percentage and a .493 on-base percentage in the cleanup slot for the Indians. She had 55 RBIs and scored 36 runs for Marengo. She committed just one error all season at first base.

Jenna Teson

Jacobs, jr.

Teson hit a team-best .470 as the Eagles’ leadoff hitter while still driving in 13 runs. She stole 19 bases, hit five triples and struck out just six times in 132 at-bats.

Outfielders

Sara Jacobson

Jacobs, sr.

Jacobson, the Eagles’ four-year standout, batted .532 with three home runs, eight triples and 34 RBIs. She was a big reason for the Eagles’ run to the Class 4A sectional final and played an error-free season in center field.

Taylor Dunne

Cary-Grove, so.

Dunne came through with clutch hits all year for the Trojans, including a walk-off three-run shot in the sectional final against Jacobs to advance to a Class 4A supersectional. Dunne batted .385 with a .663 slugging percentage and a .465 on-base percentage.

Alexis Haley

Cary-Grove, jr.

Haley, a three-year varsity starter, batted .462 with a .710 slugging percentage and a .510 on-base percentage. Haley batted .529 with runners in scoring position and drove in 24 runs.

Designated hitter

Kaleigh Velasquez

Marengo, sr.

Velasquez batted .465 with a .904 slugging percentage and a .530 on-base percentage. She smacked eight home runs, 18 doubles and four triples with 42 RBIs and scored 31 runs scored.

Flex

Jackie Kisman

CL Central, jr.

Kisman pitched and batted leadoff for the Tigers, finishing with a .457 batting average wiht 41 runs scored, 22 stolen bases, .508 on-base percentage and .378 slugging percentage. She was 15-5 in the circle with a 2.33 ERA, 29 walks and 104 strikeouts.

Second team

Pitchers

Nikki Greenhill, Woodstock North, jr.
Taylor Larson, Huntley, jr.
Mattie McGuire, Marengo, sr.
Mikaela Mitsch, McHenry, so.
Kirsten Stevens, Prairie Ridge, fr.

Catcher

Lauren Seegers, Prairie Ridge, jr.

Infielders

Lauren Roudabush, Marengo, jr.
Liz Adams, Crystal Lake South, so.
Kara Arceneaux, Jacobs, jr.
Brenda Botzenhart, McHenry, jr.

Outfielders

Brook Frederiksen, Jacobs, sr.
Reed Karsten, Marengo, so.
Eleni Polites, Cary-Grove, jr.

Designated hitter

Brittany York, CL Central, jr.

Flex

Caitlin Richert, Richmond-Burton, sr.

Honorable Mention

Ariana Albanese, Huntley, sr., 1st base
Rachel Arns, McHenry, jr., infielder
Megan Becker, Johnsburg, jr., 1st base
Michaela Binz, Harvard, jr., catcher
Kaitlyn Bliss, Marian Central, sr., shortstop
Mary Chamberlain, Johnsburg, jr., pitcher
Leah Diaz, Marian Central, jr., outfielder
Amber Dyson, CL Central jr., 3rd base
Brittany Finke, Harvard, jr., infielder
Emma Gaulke, C-G, jr. shortstop
Megan Gier, McHenry, sr., catcher
Alysa Grude, Marengo, sr., outfielder
Kelsey Hagan, Huntley, jr., 3rd base
Abby Haubold, Woodstock, sr., catcher
Jordan Hauck, Johnsburg, sr., catcher
Sam Hereley, Harvard, jr., flex
Melany Love, D-C, so., pitcher
Shannon McGinnis, CL South, jr., outfielder
Amy Palminteri, C-G sr., 2nd base
Kelsey Peterson, Jacobs, jr., 1st base
Miranda Peterson, Huntley, fr., 2nd base
Vickie Pyan, CL South, sr., 2nd base
Amy Rink, CL Central, so., 1st base
Bree Roberts, R-B, sr., 3rd base
Erin Smith, Prairie Ridge, sr., 1st base
Sarah Straley, Marian Central, sr., 2nd base
Lexi Wachman, Prairie Ridge, sr., 3rd base
Nicole Wallace, McHenry, sr., outfielder
Abbe Wienckowski, C-G, sr., 1st base
Amanda Wisniewski, Huntley, sr., shortstop

– Maureen Lynch
mlynch@nwherald.com