After capturing its first region title since 2002, the Heritage varsity softball team continued its winning ways long after season’s end, sweeping the Region 8-AAAAA postseason awards.
Outfielder Macarri Wilkerson was named the region’s Player of the Year, while teammate and Georgia Southern commit Kierra Camp was honored as the region’s Pitcher of the Year.
Patriots’ head coach Jason McBay was named the region Coach of the Year, and the Patriots were named the Team of the Year.
Wilkerson led the Patriots with 35 RBIs this season and tallied a team-high 39 stolen bases. The senior finished the year with a .452 batting average with a school-record seven triples.
Camp did damage both at the plate, and in the circle as the Patriots’ No. 1 starter, hitting .404 this season while posting a .53 earned run average.
McBay led the Patriots to a 26-7 overall record with a perfect 8-0 mark in region play. The Patriots downed region rival Loganville 7-1 in the region title contest. Heritage defeated Stephenson 8-0, 10-1 in the opening round of the state tournament, but fell short of the Elite 8 in Columbus after Pope swept the Patriots in the second round.
Wilkerson and Camp were joined on the all-region first team by teammates Diamond Callwood, Taylor Moser and Kamyrn Toney. Callwood, a King University commitment, hit .415 this season with 36 stolen bases. Toney, the Patriots’ No. 2 starter, finished the season with an 11-1 record with a .31 ERA. Moser batted .428 at first base for the Patriots.
The Patriots’ Ally Allegretti, Heidi Shepherd and Lakaitlen Barney were named to the all-region second team. Jamiya Barker earned honorable mention honors.
Toney also received the Patriots’ Student Athlete Award, while Ta’lor Bynam was named Heritage’ Kristin Clack Hustle Award winner.
Seminoles honored
The Salem Seminoles featured two players on the all-region first team.
Catcher Peyton Mitchell and infielder Kennedy Lester earned first-team honors for the Seminoles after Salem finished the year with a 9-12 overall record.
Mitchell, a junior, hit .391 for the Seminoles this past season, while Lester hit .500 with a .610 on-base percentage.
Salem starting pitcher Whitney Lester and freshman infielder Mariah Briney were honored with second-team selection. Lester led Salem with a 3.03 ERA, while Briney finished the season with a .320 batting average.
Kennedy Lester was named Salem’s Clack Hustle Award recipient, while Alexis Chisman was named the Seminoles’ Student Athlete Award winner.
