May 14, 2009

It didn't quite have the finish of the past two seasons, but 2009 was still a very successful and memorable year for the Wright State softball team.

The two-time defending Horizon League Tournament champions, the Raiders fell just short of a three-peat in 2009, advancing to the consolation bracket finals before falling to #1 seed UIC. WSU, however, finished with a 34-21 overall mark, trailing just the 2000 squad for most wins ever in a season, and posted a 16-8 record in Horizon League play, besting the 13 wins of 2008 and coming one game shy of the League record.

Wright State started the season by picking up a win at the Country Inn and Suites Invitational, which took place at the Dragon's Dome in Pekin, Illinois. The Raiders defeated IUPUI while also facing eventual NCAA Tournament participant and host Bradley along with Western Illinois, who won the Summit League regular-season title, and Iowa State.

The Raiders then split four games at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial in Kennesaw, Georgia, including wins over Tennessee Tech and host Kennesaw State. WSU followed that with a pair of victories over Loyola Marymount at the Eller Memorial Stadium Tournament in Las Vegas. Sophomore third baseman Louie Haney was selected as the Horizon League Player of the Week for her performance in Vegas, hitting .375 with five runs scored in five games.

Wright State wrapped up tournament play with a 3-1 mark at the Comfort Inn Softball Classic in Morehead, Kentucky, before opening its home schedule with a split against eventual Mid-American Conference champion and NCAA participant Miami and a win versus Cleveland State to kick off the Horizon League slate.

The Raiders took three of four against Eastern Michigan and Ohio before wrapping up the seven-game home stand with two victories over Youngstown State. Junior outfielder Jamie Perkins led the way as she batted .480 with a home run cycle (solo, two-run, three-run and grand slam homers), 11 RBI and seven runs scored, earning League Player of the Week honors.

WSU then went 4-2 on a week-long road swing, including a three-game series sweep at Valparaiso. Junior pitcher/designated player Allison Cox received Pitcher of the Week honors as she went 3-0 on the trip, including a three-hit shutout of the Crusaders in the first game of the series, with nine strikeouts.

The Raiders, though, dropped two of three games at Green Bay to end the road swing and after falling into the first game of a home doubleheader against Butler, trailed 1-0 to the Bulldogs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Freshman outfielder Katie Kine, however, delivered one of the key hits of the season with a two-run home run to right to win the game and start WSU on a school-record 12-game winning streak, a streak that included winning the series against Butler, three-game sweeps at Detroit and Loyola along with a pair of wins against Toledo and Bowling Green.

Cox picked up her second conference honor of the season, this time Player of the Week, as she batted .571 with two home runs, seven RBI and five runs scored versus Toledo and Detroit, while Sharon Palma was tabbed as the Pitcher of the Week in winning all three games at Loyola, including a nine-inning performance in the opener.

The winning streak came to an end as Horizon League regular season champion UIC won a pair, but the Raiders closed out the regular season on a high note by defeating the Flames, scoring three times in the bottom of the sixth to do so.

It was a case of déjà vu in the early going for Wright State at the Horizon League Tournament as, for the second consecutive year, the Raiders were the third seed and defeated #4 seed Loyola in their first game, again rallying in their final at bat for the win.

That meant another matchup with Cleveland State in the winner's bracket semifinals, but the similarities to 2008 ended there as the Vikings snapped a seven-game tournament losing streak to the Raiders, sending WSU to the consolation bracket.

Another come-from-behind win, this time over Butler, advanced Wright State to the consolation bracket finals against UIC. Cox tied the game at 3 with a two-run home run to center in the fifth and sophomore second baseman Justine Shilt had a two-run double in the seventh, but it wasn't enough as the Flames ended WSU's second with a 9-5 decision.

Six Raiders received All-Horizon League honors as Cox, Haney and Shilt were each selected First Team All-League while Palma and junior shortstop Kristen Bradshaw were both named to the Second Team and freshman first baseman China Frost to the All-Newcomer Team. Haney was also chosen to the All-Tournament Team as she hit .533 in the four games with six runs scored and three RBI while Cox received All-Midwest Region honors, becoming the seventh Raider to ever do so.

Wright State posted a new team fielding record in 2009 (.965) along with three single-season and six career individual records. Included in the single-season records was Palma winning 19 games in the circle, tying the 19 won by Adee Ristas in 1997.


2009 Wright State Honors and Records

Postseason Honors

All-Midwest Region
Allison Cox

First Team All-Horizon League
Allison Cox
Louie Haney
Justine Shilt

Second Team All-Horizon League
Kristen Bradshaw
Sharon Palma

Horizon League All-Newcomer Team
China Frost

Horizon League All-Tournament Team
Louie Haney


Records

Single-Season Team
Fielding Percentage: .965

Single-Season Individual
Putouts: China Frost, 380
Assists: Kristen Bradshaw, 171
Wins: Sharon Palma, 19

Career Individual
Runs Scored: Kristen Bradshaw, 121
Home Runs: Kristen Bradshaw, 22
Total Bases: Kristen Bradshaw, 297
Runs Batted In: Kristen Bradshaw, 131
Walks: Jamie Perkins, 78
Assists: Kristen Bradshaw, 463


NCAA Rankings

Team
Batting Average: 15th, .310
Fielding Percentage: 67th, .965
Scoring: 35th, 5.15 runs per game
Win/Loss Percentage: 64th, .618
Home Runs: 67th, 0.71 per game
Doubles: 62nd, 1.27 per game
Triples: 45th, 0.22 per game
Slugging Percentage: 37th, .446
Double Plays Per Game: 90th, 0.29

Individual
Batting Average: Louie Haney, 66th, .394
Wins: Sharon Palma, 71st, 19
Saves: Allison Cox, 26th, 3
Toughest to Strike Out: Kristen Bradshaw, 5th, 29.8 (6 in 179 at bats)
Toughest to Strike Out: Justine Shilt, 12th, 25.1 (7 in 176 at bats)
Sacrifice Flies: Kristen Bradshaw, 4th, 5