Five area softball players earn first-team all-state honors

Notre Dame's Morgan Duschell and Christina Scherer each earned first-team Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association all-state honors for the fall season in Class 3, while Saxony Lutheran's Grace Mirly (Class 2) and Chaffee freshmen Bridgette Swinford and Sydney Walker (Class 1) also earned first-team honors.

Duschell, a junior catcher, was the leadoff batter for the Bulldogs, whose season ended in a 12-2 loss to Warrenton in the Class 3 state championship. She led the team with a .495 batting average and 36 runs scored to go along with 24 RBIs. Scherer was a senior outfielder who batted in the No. 2 spot with a .482 average and 35 runs scored. She had 13 RBIs and a team-leading 44 base hits.

Mirly, a senior, started at third base for the Crusaders, who wrapped up their season with a 6-1 loss to Kelly in the Class 2 District 1 tournament.

Walker batted .414 with a team-high 22 RBIs as a starting shortstop for the Red Devils, who had a historic season that came to an end with a third-place finish in Class 1. Swinford started in the outfield, hitting .340 with 27 singles.

Notre Dame senior pitcher Haylie Santos and sophomore shortstop Madison Landeros each earned second-team all-state honors in Class 3.