EIGHT AREA SOFTBALL PLAYERS ATTRACT ALL-STATE HONORS

Eight softball players from the Southeast Missouri region were recently named all-state performers.

Amber Voerg and Ashley Foutch both made the list for Cape Central in Class 4A, as did Jackson's Amanda Bollinger and Megan Kuntze.

In Class 3A, Perryville's Amanda Schumer and Stacy Baer each made all-state for the second straight year, and Audrey Burford and Megan Beggs were both named all-state in Class 2A from Kelly High School, which made it to the state semifinals this past season.

Voerg, a junior, made all-state as a shortstop, although her natural position is outfield. She had to fill in at shortstop because of an injury. Voerg batted .440 this past season with 29 runs batted in during 29 games. She homered three times and hit 11 doubles. She posted an impressive .703 slugging percentage.

Foutch, a center fielder, hit .415 and scored 27 runs and batted in 24. She hit three home runs and reached base in 57 percent of her plate appearances. Cape Central went 15-14 and was defeated in the district championship game.

In 29 games for the district champion Jackson Lady Indians, Kuntze, a senior shortstop, had a record-breaking season. She broke school records in stolen bases (31) and hits (38). Kuntze batted .432 and hit .519 with runners in scoring position, which resulted in 19 RBIs. She had five doubles, two triples and two homers on the season.

Bollinger, Jackson's junior catcher like Kuntze set two school records this past season. She set a new mark for RBI in a season with 34 and most sacrifices with 10. Bollinger led the team in hitting with a .434 average. She hit .615 with 24 hits with runners in scoring position. Bollinger, though, was perhaps more outstanding behind the plate, where she threw out 81 percent (25 of 31) of would-be base stealers and picked off an additional nine runners from first or third.

Baer, a speedy junior center fielder, was a major reason the Lady Pirates made it to the state quarterfinals, setting team highs with a .411 batting average, eight home runs, 33 RBIs and 35 runs scored. Baer led Perryville with 18 stolen bases.

Schumer, a senior shortstop, batted .340 with four homers, 32 RBIs and 30 runs scored. She hit a team-high nine triples and six doubles. In her career, Schumer collected 101 hits in 275 at-bats for a .367 career average. She also stole 14 bases..Burford, a senior first baseman for the Lady Hawks, struck out just two times in 97 at-bats while hitting .423 with one home run, 24 RBIs and a team-high 32 runs scored. Defensively, Burford was nearly automatic, making just one error the entire season and posting a .995 fielding percentage.

A junior shortstop, Beggs batted a whopping .457 at the plate with one homer and 23 RBIs in 26 games. She scored 23 runs and stole 10 bases without being caught.