From VCSU Athletics
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSUAthletics.com) – Valley City State softball’s Joelle Aiello was named North Star Athletic Association Player of the Year, and the Vikings earned eight All-Conference selections and four Gold Glove nods, the conference office announced Wednesday at the NSAA Awards Banquet held at the Watertown Civic Arena.
Vikings earning First Team All-Conference include Aiello, Jessica Husband, Anne-Elise Gest, Joelle Lamontagne, Riley Perryman, Marissa Hawkins and Sierra Crocker. Andrea Rodriguez was named Second Team All-Conference.
Aiello, Lamontagne, Rodriguez and Ashlynne Copinga were each named to the NSAA Gold Glove Team which recongizes outstanding defense.
Senior shortstop Joelle Aiello was named NSAA Player of the Year after leading the conference with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs this season. The Napa, Calif. native is batting .425 with an .829 slugging percentage, while totaling 62 hits, 13 doubles, two triples, 50 runs and 10 stolen bases in her senior campaign. Aiello set a new school record this season with 55 career doubles. She was also named First Team All-Conference and Gold Glove recipient.
Jessica Husband primarily started as designated player and is batting .436 for the Vikings this season. The senior from Kingwood Park, Texas, totals 61 hits, 45 RBIs, 37 runs, four home runs and a team-best 16 doubles this season.
Anne-Elise Gest, a sophomore from Joshua, Texas, holds a .278 batting average with 35 hits, six doubles, one triple and five home runs. The center fielder scored 36 runs and drove in 24 for the Vikings this season.
Joelle Lamontagne is a junior pitcher from Oxbow, Saskatchewan, Canada, and totals a conference-high 18 wins and just six losses in the circle. She holds a 2.66 ERA with 95 strikeouts and just 26 walks in 142 innings pitched. Lamontagne also totals 14 complete games and four shutouts in her junior season.
Senior Riley Perryman is batting .406 and holds a .506 on-base percentage on the season. The Cottage Grove, Minn. native adds 56 hits, 43 runs, 38 RBIs, 11 doubles and seven home runs for the Vikings. Perryman set a new school record this season with 26 career home runs and was also named VCSU’s Champion of Character.
Marissa Hawkins is a senior from St. Paul, Minn. and ranks second in the conference with a .443 batting average and .547 on-base percentage. The senior infielder totals 51 hits, nine doubles, 10 home runs, 43 runs and 40 RBIs this season. She also set new school records with 30 walks on the season and 155 RBIs in her Viking career.
Sierra Crocker, a junior from Napa, Calif., is batting .387 with 48 hits, 12 doubles and eight home runs on the season. The catcher totals 27 runs and 36 RBIs for the Vikings.
Andrea Rodriguez, a sophomore from Austin, Texas, holds a .340 batting average this season with 36 hits, 12 doubles and two home runs. The second baseman scored 31 runs for the Vikings and drove in 21 runs.