
For Immediate Release - 6/11/09 - #374
Taylor Walker, Head Coach Dawn Simmons Earn Top Honors on All-State Squad
LYNCHBURG, VA - Taylor Walker (Poquoson, VA/Poquoson) was named the All-State College Division Rookie of the Year and second-team all-state while Head Coach Dawn Simmons garnered co-coach of the year honors.
Walker, a shortstop, batted at a .277 clip this spring and collected eight homeruns and 23 RBI along with 23 runs and was named first-team All-ODAC. In conference play, she registered a .333 batting average with two homeruns and 11 RBI. Simmons guided the Hornets to their third straight ODAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, posted her seventh consecutive 30 win season, and also, with 38 wins, fell just one win shy of tying the school record for most single season wins.
Also making first-team honors were Brittany Allsop (Milford, CT/Johnathan Law) in the outfield, Katie Bruce (Lanexa, VA/Lafayette) at designated player, and Barbie Miles (Kinsale, VA/Washington & Lee) at pitcher. Allsop was named First-Team All-ODAC, second-team All-Region, Academic All-District, and second-team Academic All-American while also being named the ODAC and Lynchburg College Scholar Athlete of the Year. Bruce was a second-team All-ODAC and All-Region performer and batted. 324 this spring along with nine homeruns and a team-high 44 runs batted in. Miles was named the ODAC Pitcher of the Year earlier this spring and went 17-5 this season in 28 appearances with a 1.67 ERA. In 138.1 inning pitched, she struck out 145 batters and opponents hit just .247 against her this season.
Earning second-team accolades was Rachel Gallagher (Warrenton, VA/Fauquier) at third base, Lauren Duguay (Williamsburg, VA/Jamestown) at outfield, and Bruce earned her second appearance on the all-state team, this time at pitcher. Gallagher was named the ODAC Tournament MVP, batted .320, and posted a team-high 12 homeruns along with 34 RBI. Duguay had her finest season this year as she batted .347 and hit six homers while driving in 29 runs. In ODAC play, she posted monster numbers, hitting .489 with five bombs and 22 RBI. Bruce posted a 1.86 ERA with a 20-3 win loss record in the circle.
The Hornets finished the season with a 38-8-1 record and concluded the season ranked 16th in the NFCA Top 25 poll after reaching as high as sixth in all of Division III.
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