Haverford’s Heather Lazer is Girls Softball Player of Year
In addition to 2017 Daily Times Player of the Year Heather Lazer of Haverford, the rest of the AllDelco team includes:
Bridget Bailey, Interboro: The junior ace led the Bucs to a pair of firsts in program history, a berth in the District 1 Class 5A final and a victory in the state tournament. Bailey kept the Bucs in every game, even in defeat. She allowed only one run in the Bucs’ 1-0 defeat to West Chester Henderson in the district championship game. She yielded only two earned run in the Bucs’ second-round state playoff loss to Cedar Cliff, which played for a PIAA title. For the season, Bailey won 14 games, including six by way of shutout. She posted a 1.54 ERA with 153 strikeouts in 132 innings as the Bucs captured the Del Val League title. Leigh Ann Jenkins, Ridley: The senior pitcher was lightsout effective in big moments for the Green Raiders, who won a District 1 playoff game (6A) for the first time since 2004. Jenkins recorded 14 wins with 145 strikeouts en route to AllCentral League recognition. At the plate, Jenkins was an RBI machine. She knocked in 24 runs on the way to earning All-Delco honors for a second time. She hit .329/,356/,600 with four homers and 12 runs scored. Jenkins will continue her softball career at University of Charleston in West Virginia.
Annemarie Banes, Cardinal O’Hara: There wasn’t a better all-around shortstop in the county the last two years. The senior and two-time All-Delco was the catalyst of a Lions team that qualified for the Catholic League quarterfinals and notched 11 victories. En route to earning All-Catholic League honors, Banes paced the Lions with a .417 batting average. She finished with six doubles, four triples and two homers. In addition, Banes scored 12 runs and collected 15 RBIs. Mackenzie Lewis, Sun Valley: You would be hard-pressed to find a better slap-hitter in Delco than Lewis, who is making her second straight appearance on the All-Delco team. The senior shortstop was a terror for opposing pitchers and the driving force on a Sun Valley team that reached the second round of the District 1 Class 5A playoffs. An All-Ches-Mont League honoree, Lewis batted .500 with a .533 on-base percentage. She finished with 38 hits, 31 runs scored and 23 stolen bases while playing rock-solid defense. She is headed to East Stroudsburg. Maura Kane, Cardinal O’Hara: A senior third baseman, Kane was the other half O’Hara’s uber-talented left side of the infield. And like Banes, Kane was a tremendous defender and hitter over the course of her career with the Lions. The right-handed batter hit .415 and tied Banes for most hits (22) on the team. In addition, she finished with seven doubles and a home run. Kane is making her first appearance on the All-Delco team after making Second Team as a junior Kane will join her older sister, Kaela, who also was an O’Hara All-Delco, at Moravian College.
Ali Murphy, Haverford: The sophomore centerfielder is an electrifying talent. She is arguably the fastest player in Delaware County who can cover a ton of ground on the outfield grass. As a left-handed slap hitter, Murphy was a vital part of Haverford’s run to the Central League title, batting .519 with a .532 on-base average. Murphy collected 40 hits from the No. 2 spot in the lineup. A first-time All-Delco, Murphy once scored from second base on a sacrifice fly. Haverford coach Bill Whitney said Murphy is the best outfielder he’s ever coached. Sam Witmer, Upper Darby: The senior outfielder led the way for the Royals again this year. A rare threetime All-Delco honoree, Witmer continued her assault against Central League opponents. She was among the top bats in Delco with a .525 batting average, a .603 onbase percentage and a .656 slugging percentage. Witmer paced the 10-9 Royals, who qualified for the District 1 Class 6A postseason, in hits (32) and RBIs (27). Bound for Trinity College, Witmer added six doubles and one triple on the way to another All-Central League selection. RonnieMarie Falasco, Delco Christian: While competing at the smallest school in Delaware County, Falasco produced eye-popping numbers in her four seasons with the Knights. The senior catcher was virtually unstoppable in 2017. She was the county’s top slugger with a season-best 11 home runs to go with five doubles and six triples. The Amherst College recruit batted a ridiculous .650 with a .732 on-base percentage. The 2016 Bicentennial League Player of the Year was named a 2017 Foot Locker Scholar Athlete, one of 20 selected among a field of over 36,000 applicants. Lindsey Hunt, Garnet Valley: The sophomore catcher might have the brightest future of any underclassmen in Delaware County. The AllCentral League honoree is making her first All-Delco appearance after garnering honorable mention recognition last spring. Quite simply, she’s the top all-around catcher in the county. Hunt guided the Jaguars to a trip to the District 1 Class 6A tournament by hitting .531 with a .595 on-base percentage, with eight doubles, four triples and five homers. She already made a verbal commitment to Drexel University.
Amber Seamen, Interboro: It was another stellar year for the senior catcher. A two-time All-Delco, Seamen’s final season in the gold and black was her best yet. In leading the Bucs to a Del Val League crown, as well as an appearance in both a district championship and state tournament for the first time in program history, Seamen was as good as it gets as a two-way catcher. She batted .468/.488/.734 with 23 RBIs, 23 runs, four doubles, four triples and two homers. In 82 plate appearances, she didn’t strike out once. A candidate for Player of the Year honors, Seamen will play collegiate softball at Cabrini. Michala Maciolek, Agnes Irwin: The senior catcher flies under the radar at Agnes Irwin, but she has proven to be one of the top talents in the county since her freshman year. A two-time All-Delco, Maciolek batted .574/.630/.957 with 16 stolen bases and 22 runs scored for the Owls, who qualified for the
Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association tournament. Maciolek was instrumental in helping the Owls go from 1-13 in 2015 to the PAISSA playoffs in each of her final two seasons. In the spring, Maciolek was honored by the Delco Athletes Hall of Fame as a scholar athlete. She will continue her career at Syracuse.