The Mount Vernon Nazarene University softball team had six players receive honors for their performances throughout the season by the Crossroads League, and Kenyon College landed four players on the 2022 All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) teams
Three MVNU players named to CL first-team
MVNU juniors Kaycee Ollis and Kylee Matern and freshman Nadia Hoffman received First Team All-Crossroads League recognition. Junior Macee Marcum and sophomore Mackenzie Hancock were both Second Team All-Crossroads League recipients, and junior Megan Pentz was an All-Crossroads League honorable mention.
Ollis was third in the league in batting average (.428), fourth in RBIs (56), and fifth in home runs (12). All of these numbers led the team. Matern finished fifth in the league in average (.414) and led MVNU with 79 hits. Matern was a threat on the bases as well. She tied for fifth in the league with 22 stolen bases.
Hoffman had a great freshman season. The pitcher finished sixth in the league in earned run average at 2.42. Hoffman was seventh in the Crossroads in strikeouts with 90 in 2022.
Hancock and Marcum each had solid years at the plate for MVNU. Hancock batted .331 with 48 hits and 24 RBIs. Marcum hit .335 with 58 hits and 32 RBIs.
Megan Pentz turned in a strong season as well. The left fielder batted .341. She had 58 hits and was second on the team with 43 RBIs.
Ollis, a catcher, and Matern, an outfielder, were also awarded with Gold Glove awards for their defensive efforts throughout the season. Ollis had 249 putouts and 31 assists from behind the plate, committing only five errors on the season. Her fielding percentage was .982. Matern had 74 putouts and five assists as the center fielder committed just a single error in the 2022 campaign. She also had an outstanding fielding percentage of .988.
Kenyon’s Bishay named to NCAC first team
Senior Nicole Bishay was selected by the NCAC to the first team, while fellow seniors Emily Buckwalter, Sara Campagna, and Grace Finn were named honorable mentions.
Bishay, listed as a utility player, saw most of her innings come in the circle for the Ladies. The senior appeared in 22 games, starting in 21 of those. During that time, Bishay pitched 126.1 innings, amassing 63 strikeouts. Her 1.99 ERA ranked third in the conference, while her 15 wins ranked second.
Buckwalter earned her spot as an honorable mention after leading the NCAC in runs batted in. Her .364 average ranked second on the team. Finn started all 40 games for the Ladies this season, hitting her way to a .342 average and .983 OPS. Campagna rounds out Kenyon’s nominees after posting a .984 fielding percentage from behind the plate.
Bishay and Buckwalter picked up their first all-conference honors, while Campagna was recognized for the second time. Finn hauled in her third All-NCAC mention. Kenyon ended its season with a 24-16 overall record and a 6-10 mark in conference play.
