Six Named All-Conference; Nichols Earns Newcomer of the Year

ERIE, Pa. - Six members of the Penn State Behrend softball squad were selected to the All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Team while freshman catcher and pitcher AJ Nichols (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) was named Newcomer of the Year.

Junior designated hitter Shannon McDonnell (Fayston, VT/Harwood Union), sophomore short stop Sarah Blagg (Cranberry Township, PA/Seneca Valley) and freshman second baseman Katie Gozzard (Pittsburgh, PA/Deer Lakes) were chosen to the first team. Nichols, junior pitcher Rachel Miller (North East, PA/North East) and junior center fielder Allania Banta (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) were selected to the second team.

In addition to Newcomer of the Year, Nichols was chosen to the second team as a pitcher and catcher. The freshman was a versatile player for the Lions this season, also playing shortstop at times. Nichols started in every conference game, tallying 17 RBI on 21 hits. Of those 21 hits, she smacked five doubles, two triples while finishing the regular season on a 13-game hitting streak. As a pitcher, Nichols went 5-1 in the circle and threw five complete games, only allowing two earned runs for a 0.36 ERA. She struck out 39 batters, tying her for eighth in AMCC. As a catcher, Nichols didn't have one passed ball or error defensively to help Behrend post a 15-3 conference record.

McDonnell and Blagg are both earning their first All-AMCC accolades on the first team. Blagg led the team and was third in the conference with a .474 hitting percentage in 18 AMCC games. She ranked first on the team and fourth in the conference with 27 hits. She also led the squad with 23 runs, six doubles and two home runs. Blagg recorded 17 RBI and 41 total bases for a .492 on-base percentage. The sophomore was the only player to post five hits and five RBIs in one game this season.

McDonnell is a first-team choice to mark her second time on the All-Conference squad. She ranks second in the AMCC games with 21 RBIs. She hit .431 to rank her fourth on the team, while registering 25 hits, 15 runs, four doubles and three triples. McDonnell also 5-for-5 in stolen bases and led with a .981 fielding percentage. She led the team with eight multiple-hit and eight multiple-RBI games. In a game-one victory over Mt. Aloysius, she went a perfect 4-for-4 including a pair of doubles with four RBI.

Gozzard had the third best hitting average on the team and ranked fourth in the AMCC (.452) to be named to the first team. She tallied 15 RBI on 19 hits, recording a hit in 12 of the 16 games she started. Gozzard was instrumental in the Lions win against Altoona, going 2-for-2 with four RBI and two doubles.

Miller makes this her third all-conference appearance and second on the second team. The junior had the most AMCC wins on the team with a 6-2 mark. Miller posted a 2.02 ERA in eight appearances, striking out 39 batters and earning three shut outs. In the win over Hilbert, she threw a one-hit shutout and fanned 10. Miller also tallied 12 hits and 10 runs in 10 games at the plate.   

Banta, the starting center fielder, is earning her second All-AMCC accolade on the second team. Banta was chosen to the first team a year ago. The junior has hit .308 on the season with a .938 fielding percentage. She leads the team with seven doubles in 17 conference games. Banta has 16 hits, eight runs and six RBI. She had a 10-game hitting streak in AMCC contests, registering multiple hits in three games.