FRISCO, Texas—For the second straight year McNeese catcher
Erika Piancastelli has been named the 2016 Southland Conference Softball Player and Hitter of the year as announced by the league office Monday.
As a team, McNeese placed eight players on the all-conference team including four first team selections and its the third straight year a McNeese player has won both player and hitter of the year honors.
Piancastelli, a native of Carlsbad, Calif. is the second player in Southland Conference softball history to earn both honors in consecutive years. Former Southland member, UTSA's Kristen Zaleski won the awards in 2003 and 2004. Piancastelli is also the fourth player in conference history to earn back-to-back hitter of the year honors. Stephen F. Austin's Kayla Gutowski was named hitter of the year in 2009 and 2010. Piancastelli joins former Cowgirls Heather Moreaux (2000) and Alanna DiVittorio (2014) as the only McNeese players to earn the awards in the same season. In addition, Piancastelli was named to the all-conference first team for the second year after leading the SLC in five statistical categories including home runs, slugging percent, runs scored, on base percent and walks. She became the McNeese career homerun leader with 39 in the final regular season series against Central Arkansas after hitting her 21
st homerun of the season. She ended the regular season with a .403 batting average, 52 hits, 12 doubles, 21 homeruns, 42 RBI and 59 walks.
Joining Piancastelli on the first team is senior pitcher
Emily Vincent and sophomore second baseman
Hailey Drew and designated player
Morgan Catron.
The native of Sulphur, Louisiana, Vincent earned her fourth overall all-conference honor and her first as a first team selection as a pitcher. She posted a 14-3 record on the year with a 1.66 ERA and the second best ERA (1.58) in conference games only. She won nine of her last 10 regular season games and has 147 strikeouts on the year.
Drew is a native of Fallbrook, California who hit .333 average, stole 15 bases and scored 35 runs. She collected 37 hits, 27 RBI and was second on the team with 18 hit by pitches. This is her first selection to the all-conference team.
Catron hails from Mineola, Texas and like Drew is making her first appearance on the all-conference team after leading McNeese and ranking second in the NCAA with 27 hit by pitches. She is tied for third on the team with a .333 batting average and has a .481 on base percent.
Senior pitcher
Jamie Allred (Hallsville, Texas) and junior outfielder
Marisa Taunton (Beaumont, Texas) was named to the second team while senior shortstop
Taylor Goree (Lake Charles, La.) and freshman outfielder
Justyce McClain (Phoenix, Arizona) were named to the third team.
Allred, who tied the McNeese all-time career wins record with 67 against UCA in the final regular season, is 16-3 on the season with a 1.62 ERA along with 105 strikeouts. Allred produced a 1.37 ERA in conference games only and has won her last four games. Her three losses came against no. 16 Baylor, Nicholls and Lamar. She is also tied with a team high four shutouts.
Taunton, the speedy leadoff batter for the Cowgirls led McNeese with 57 hits and 22 stolen bases and was second in batting average at .358. She has 17 multiple hit games with seven doubles and two triples.
Goree, the home grown product leads McNeese with 13 doubles and is batting .268 with 40 hits, 24 RBI and has scored 30 runs. Goree put together the longest hitting streak of the season with a 13-game hitting streak midway through the season.
Justyce is one of five freshmen to be named to the team after batting .365 with 35 hits and 21 RBI.
