BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University softball team finished second in the Conference Carolinas regular standings, and on Thursday four individuals were recognized when the league announced the All-Conference Carolinas performers at the conference tournament.
Nikole Counts and
Rikkelle Miller garnered first team honors while
Meagan Puckett and
Erin Foster earned second team honors.
Counts has had a spectacular season in the circle for the Tornado as her 2.11 ERA ranks fourth in the league. She also owns the second-most wins in the league with a 12-5 record. Counts had tossed a pair of shutouts this season, the first coming in a 2-0 win over Southern Wesleyan University on March 19, and the other was last weekend in a 3-0 win over the University of Mount Olive. In the win over Southern Wesleyan, Counts recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts.
This marks the first time in her career Counts has garnered all-conference honors.
Miller also earns all-conference honors for the first time in her career as her .355 batting average ranks 14th in the league. In her first year on campus, Miller has been a constant in the middle of the Tornado lineup as her 25 runs batted in and five home runs rank seventh in the conference. Miller's .617 slugging percentage ranks ninth in the league. On the season she has 10 games with at least two hits, including five with three hits.
Puckett has earns all-conference recognition for the first time as she ranks just ahead of Miller with a .619 slugging percentage this season. Her six home runs rank fourth in Conference Carolinas while her 24 runs batted in ranks eighth. Puckett ranks second among Tornado with 10 multiple hit games, including one with three hits. In the regular season finale, Puckett went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five runs batted in against Belmont Abbey College in game one.
Foster was selected all-conference for the first time as well. In 22 games this season, Foster owns a .361 batting average, .623 slugging percentage and has ripped four home runs. She ranks fourth on the team with 19 runs scored. Foster has posted seven games with two hits, including each of the first two games of the season. In the season-opener at Carson-Newman University, both of Foster's hits were home run as she drove in three in the victory.
The Tornado will be in action on day two of the Conference Carolinas Softball Championship on Friday. Check kingtornado.com for updates on who and when the Tornado will play throughout the weekend.
