NAC Announces Softball Postseason Awards

AURORA, Ill. May 6, 2009 - The Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) announced the 2009 softball All-Conference Team and postseason awards. Spartan junior pitcher Anna Snyder (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake H.S.) was named 2009 NAC Softball Pitcher of the Year, her second consecutive season winning the award.

The Aurora University women’s softball team, regular season champions for the third consecutive season, placed four players on the NAC All-Conference First-Team, one player on the NAC All-Conference Second-Team and one player on the NAC All-Freshman Team.

Joining Snyder as First-Team All-Conference selections were senior outfielder Nikki Veen (Oak Lawn, IL/Oak Lawn H.S.), junior catcher Briana Martin (Andalusia, IL/Rockridge H.S.) and sophomore designated player Jessica Scott (Monee, IL/Crete-Monee H.S.), while sophomore outfielder Shannon Starr (Itasca, IL/Lake Park H.S.) was named Second-Team All-Conference and freshman pitcher Lindsay Decker (Genoa, IL/Genoa-Kingston H.S.) were named to the NAC All-Freshman Team.

Snyder had a 22-4 record with a 1.52 earned run average and 251 strikeouts in 160-1/3 innings pitched. Opponents hit .171 against her, she had 18 complete games with one no-hitter and five shutouts. During the season, she became the career strikeout leader at AU and she will enter her senior season with 555.

Veen had a .380 average with 33 runs scored, 12 doubles, three home runs and 18 runs batted in. She had a .554 slugging percentage and .441 on-base percentage. Martin hit .389 with 36 runs batted in, 11 doubles, seven home runs and 21 runs scored. She had a .685 slugging percentage and .460 on-base percentage. Scott hit .436 with 22 runs batted in, 20 runs scored and three doubles. She had a .465 slugging and .486 on-base percentage.

Starr hit .324 with 32 runs scored, 22 runs batted in, 11 doubles, two triples and two home runs. She had a .514 slugging percentage and .387 on-base percentage.

The newcomer, freshman pitcher Lindsay Decker had a 8-2 record with a 2.39 earned run average. She had 44 strikeouts with four complete games and two shutouts in 64 innings pitched.

The Spartan women finished with a 31-7 overall record and 22-2 in the NAC and were the NAC regular season champions.

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