Mountaineer Softball Team

Bobb Johnston
(Press Release 5-15-06)

110 and Counting

Sophomores Lesley Boyd, Ashley Graham, Karla Pittman, Brittney Day and Alysha Denomy have done something no other athletes in Eastern history have done. They have been part of 110 softball victories over the last two years with still more to come at the National Tournament May 18-20, 2006 in Plant City, FL.

Last season’s team went 48-22 and finished in 7th place in the National Tournament. This year’s squad is 62-8 so far and the #7 seed in this year.

Pitman, from North Canton, OH, set the school record for wins last season with 30 and has added another 30 wins this season. She is currently 5th in the nation in strikeouts with 214, eighth in the country in ERA at 0.642 and was named both years to the All-Region second team as a pitcher. Pittman pitched three of the four games in the Regional tournament last season and took the ball for the pivotal game of the National Tournament in Clermont, FL in 2005. After an outstanding performance Eastern fell to eventual National Champions Central Arizona 1-0, Pittman only gave up three hits while striking out three.

Graham, from Grand Prairie, TX, has started the last two campaigns in leftfield. After hitting .369 as a freshman she followed up with a .350 average this season and earned All-Region second team outfield. She made Honorable Mention All-Region as a freshman. She hit 12 homeruns during her career at Eastern with eight coming this year. Ashley hit a solo homerun in the fourth inning of a very big win during the Regional Tournament this May to beat NEO 1-0.

Boyd, from Berryhill, started last year at DP, split time at shortstop and moved into the full time starting shortstop position this season. Lesley has become “Mr. Clutch” at the plate in big situations. In the finals of the Regional Tournament the last two years, both against Northern, she belted homeruns that either took the lead or sealed the wins. She also garnered the only two hits in the National Tournament against Central Arizona, eventual National Champions, as Eastern was outhit 3-2 and fell into the loser’s bracket with the 1-0 defeat. Boyd went 6 for 9 in last year’s national tournament. Boyd was also Honorable Mention All-Region as a freshman.

Day, from Inola, was the regular rightfielder last season before moving to second base this year. (Second base was occupied last season by All-American Rachael Christian.) Day was chosen 2nd Team All-Region Outfield her freshman year. Known as the Ball-Magnet, she was hit by 13 pitches last season but managed to get nailed only five times this season. Defense and on base percentage were her forte but she could muster some pop with her bat too. She hit five homeruns during her career and a .360 average this season.

Alysha Denomy, from Saskatoon, Canada, started the season in rightfield and has used her speed both seasons as a pinch runner. Denomy saw some time last season as a pitcher, with her career highlight being a 23-2 drubbing of Grayson County last spring. Even though she couldn’t crack the rotation this season she did see action in a scrimmage between the regular season and the playoffs against Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She went toe-to-toe with SEOSU’s first team All-Conference pitcher Cierly for five innings and prevailed 7-2 not surrendering a run after the first inning.

Sophomore leadership is crucial in Junior College and this group had displayed the ability to lead. Eastern has set 21 school records this season, won the Eastern Spring Classic, The Midwest JUCO Classic, The Seminole Spring Tournament and the Region II championship. The first tournament of the season, The Cowtown Classic, was shortened after the first day due to weather with Eastern’s record standing at 3-0.