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This season on the softball field, Thompson, a left-handed slap hitter, batted .464 and also led the team in On-Base Average (.520), steals (22), runs scored (37), hits (51) and, as a catcher, threw out 14 runners and had a .981 fielding average. She has totaled 160 hits and 119 runs and was involved in 98 victories in her four seasons.

"I've probably had five or six kids like her in my 11-12 years of coaching, and she leads the list," said Harold Titus, Marlette. "She's started every ball game for four straight years and has improved her stats every year. She's the best slap hitter in school history. She's been our MVP the last two years and is just a terrific kid."

Joining the All-County Team for a second consecutive season as a pitcher is Caitlin King of Marlette. The junior hurler did most of the work on the mound for the Lady Raiders this season and finished with a 22-6 record and an ERA of 1.97. She struck out 219 batters in 185 innings pitched.

"When she's right, she's brilliant," praised Coach Titus. "She's got all of the pitches. She won't necessarily blow it by anyone, but when she hits her spots, she's tough."

Not many freshmen have had the varsity season that Brown City's Kristen Greene turned in this past spring. She was the ace on the mound with a 16-4 record and 0.79 ERA, striking out 92 batters in 124 innings. Offensively, Greene, after a slow start, batted .368 and had a .422 On-Base Average. She drove in 14 runs and scored 12 times.

Coach Erin Snyder of BC had plenty of praise for her freshman star. "I'm looking forward to having her back for the next three years. Of any kids that I've ever coached, she's the hardest worker I've ever had. And, I don't think "give up" is in her vocabulary."

A third steady pitcher in the county this season was Sandusky's Allison DeMott. The senior hurler finished with an 11-5 record, but in three of her losses, eight of the 10 runs allowed were unearned. DeMott had an ERA of 1.39 and struck out 112 batters.

Coach Jaime Nicol of Sandusky talked about her No. 1 pitcher: "She really had to step up as a pitcher and was a leader. She took the job and really buckled down. She was mentally tough. She moved the ball well, hitting corners, hitting spots."

Like Thompson, her teammate, Marlette's Jenna Lange, is another repeat choice to the All-County team. This spring, the Lady Raider first-sacker batted .383 and delivered team-high 31 RBI. Of her 41 hits, 11 were doubles, bringing her total to 28 two-base hits in the last two seasons. Lange is also an excellent defensive player, flashing a .977 fielding average.

Coach Titus commented on Lange, "She has a burning desire to do her best at all times. She can be hard on herself, but she works hard. She's a great kid and a great kid to coach."

The second of three All-County selections this year that has played four varsity seasons is Sandusky's Amy Paape. She has been a rock behind the plate for the Lady Redskins all four seasons, but is now expected to find another position when she plays at Saginaw Valley State University next spring. Over the years, Paape has been a strong power hitter for Sandusky and has driven in over 100 runs. This year, despite teams pitching carefully to her, she averaged .390 batting with 29 RBI and had a slugging percentage of .549 and On-Base Average of .462. Most teams did not try to run often on Paape. There were only 11 stolen bases against the ÔSkins this year and Paape threw out four.

"As a catcher, (the stats) show right off the bat the respect teams had for her as a catcher and her arm," said Jaime Nicol, Sandusky coach. "In big games, people couldn't risk stealing on Amy."

Brown City's Jessica Miller turned in a remarkable season despite suffering from lower back problems. The senior Green Devil second baseman was the team's leading hitter (.391) and also had several brilliant fielding games. Miller also had an On-Base Average of .438 and led the team in RBI (19) and runs scored (34).

"She was very outstanding at second base and played hurt all year," remarked Coach Snyder. "She really stepped up and played through the pain. She was a great leader for us, not so much through talking, but more of a silent leader. We're definitely going to miss her as a batter. She was one of her best hitters."

Speed and power made Krystyna Rickett a dangerous lead-off hitter for Sandusky this season. Also, throughout the season, she made several spectacular plays at shortstop. The Redskin senior had a .337 BA for the season, but also had a .433 OBA and .506 slugging percentage, with 11 doubles and two triples and 16 RBI. Rickett was caught stealing just once in 18 tries this spring.

Coach Nicol said she settled in at short with some adjustments, and added, "She has a great gun for an arm. But, something I like that's rare is that she has a killer-instinct. She has that drive and desire to win."

A year ago, Jenna Thompson played up on the varsity and had her share of struggles. The Marlette sophomore third baseman, turned that around this season. At the plate, she soared to a .408 batting average. Playing third, Thompson committed just three errors in the last 25 games, "which is spectacular at third base," said Coach Titus. The veteran Raider coach added, "She's a hard-working kid and she's just a delight to have on the team."

A junior that turned in an outstanding season for the CPS Tigers is Jordan Alexander. Named the team's MVP this spring, Alexander was the Lady Tigers' leading hitter and played soundly at third base. At the plate, she set a single-season record at CPS with 47 hits and finished with a .528 BA. Alexander also led the team in runs scored (47) and walks (32) as the lead-off hitter. She also had 30 stolen bases and 13 RBI.

Coach Bill Sarkella lauded Alexander's play. "She's a good, solid ball player and very disciplined at the plate. She has a good glove and a strong arm. She is one of those players that plays because she loves to play. She comes to work every day."

Brown City's Liz Bartle, another repeat All-County selection, ended a four-year varsity career with the Lady Green Devils. The senior used her speed effectively on offense and defense as a centerfielder. Bartle did see her batting average drop to .255 overall this season, but that does not tell the story. She had a high on-base average thanks to 17 walks and she also put down 10 successful sacrifice bunts. Along with scoring 29 runs and driving in 17, she flashed a little power , too with six doubles, a triple and a home run. Defensively, she committed zero errors this campaign and threw three runners out from the CF spot.

Coach Snyder commented on Bartle: "In big games, she really stepped up. Liz is really a hard worker and constantly worked hard at practice. She's very unselfish - she did whatever it took for the team to win. She was also a very positive person and could rally the girls."

There are very few four-sport stars in high school anymore, and even less that are also the class valedictorian. CPS's Eric Christy combined her athleticism, fortitude and intelligence to finish up a stellar four years. After playing basketball in the fall and volleyball in the winter, the Tiger senior played centerfield on the softball team and also ran track. The dual roles this spring didn't hinder her output in either sport. For softball, she has earned Division 4 All-State Honorable Mention as an outfielder this season.. Christy collected 41 hits and finished with a .410 batting average. She also stole 30 bases and owned a .911 fielding average in center.

"She always comes to play and just has an excellent work ethic," noted Coach Sarkella. "She could cover everything in centerfield. She takes care of everything she does."

A pitcher by necessity, Kristan Fletcher of Peck was much more than that to her team this season. The quick, athletic senior would be anchoring most team's outfield and is also a dangerous, front-of-the-lineup, left-handed hitter. Fletcher did a decent job of keeping the Lady Pirates in the game and picked up quite a few victories on the mound, but her bat a speed were bigger factors. She led the Lady Pirates in hitting with a .323 average, including 21 singles, and also stole 15 bases. Her ERA as a hurler was just under 1.40.

"She's just a hard working player," said Peck coach Crystal Cramer. "She pitched most of the season, but she's a great outfielder - not many people got to see that. She's a good all-around player. She's a left-hander with speed, our best bunter and a good slap hitter."

Amanda Klaus was Deckerville's top pitcher and turned in a credible performance with her strong arm. However, offensively, she fueled the Lady Eagles with her big bat. The senior, who will play softball at Hope College next season, hit a lofty .453 on the season with a .570 OBA. Klaus's power numbers included two home runs and a team-leading 31 RBI. As a pitcher, the Deckerville MVP had a 2.80 ERA.

"She was the leader of the team. She does a lot of things kids her age don't always do," pointed out Deckerville coach Christi Pavlovics. "One thing is being positive about everything. She's very mature for her age. I didn't have to (emotionally) pick up the kids all the time - she did that, and being a senior, that was a great thing to have."

The Sanilac County News has chosen Erin Snyder of Brown City and Harold Titus of Marlette as Co-Coaches of the Year.

The late Bob Snyder, former Brown City softball coach, would have been very proud of his daughter, Erin Snyder this season. In her first year as varsity coach of the Lady Green Devils, the team gained a share of the GTC East title and brought home a Division 3 District crown. Brown City finished a very good season with a 25-8 record.

"One of the things we really talked about at the beginning the season," reflected Coach Snyder., "was the capabilities we had and how people won't be counting on us because we had so many younger players.

"But, I knew we could do it. It was no surprise to me," she continued. "For a first year coach, I couldn't ask for much more. I think the kids are starting to see that we could be a dominant force in our league."

Titus, with 246 career victories in a dozen years as a varsity coach, directed the Lady Raiders to a share of the GTC East championship, the school's third league title in the last four years. Marlette posted a 22-12 overall record this spring.

"The goals we set at the beginning of the year were to win the County Tournament, a league championship and to win over 20 games, and we met all three goals," said Titus. "The season met all our expectations. We would have liked to have gone further in the Districts....but our focus is in league play. I had a delightful season in terms of the kids I coached."