Here is the 2025 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Softball All-Conference Team. Front row, from left, Ellianna Applegate (Manchester), Noel Barnhill (Lynchburg), Lilly Carlier (Fayetteville), Paige Evans (North Adams), Carlee Garrison (North Adams) and Allie Grooms (Eastern Brown); Middle row, from left, Jobey Hattan (Fairfield), Olivia Lewis (West Union), Brooklyn Manning (Ripley), Sophia Michael (Lynchburg), Kaelyn Musser (Peebles) and Kendall Myers (Peebles); Back row, from left, Rilee Quickle (Fairfield), Carly Sanders (Fairfield), Maddi Simpson (Eastern Brown), Abigail Smalley (Peebles), Grace Taylor (Ripley), Victoria Thompson (Fayetteville) and Rylie Young (Manchester). (Photo courtesy of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference)

Here is the 2025 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Softball All-Conference Team. Front row, from left, Ellianna Applegate (Manchester), Noel Barnhill (Lynchburg), Lilly Carlier (Fayetteville), Paige Evans (North Adams), Carlee Garrison (North Adams) and Allie Grooms (Eastern Brown); Middle row, from left, Jobey Hattan (Fairfield), Olivia Lewis (West Union), Brooklyn Manning (Ripley), Sophia Michael (Lynchburg), Kaelyn Musser (Peebles) and Kendall Myers (Peebles); Back row, from left, Rilee Quickle (Fairfield), Carly Sanders (Fairfield), Maddi Simpson (Eastern Brown), Abigail Smalley (Peebles), Grace Taylor (Ripley), Victoria Thompson (Fayetteville) and Rylie Young (Manchester). (Photo courtesy of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference)

<p>Pictured are the 2025 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Softball Players and Coaches of the Year. From left, Rylie Young, Manchester (C0-Player of the Year), Jobey Hattan, Fairfield (Co-Player of the Year), Ellen Binegar, Fairfield (C0-Coach of the Year), and Paula Armstrong, North Adams (C0-Coach of the Year). (Photo courtesy of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference)</p>

Pictured are the 2025 Southern Hills Athletic Conference Softball Players and Coaches of the Year. From left, Rylie Young, Manchester (C0-Player of the Year), Jobey Hattan, Fairfield (Co-Player of the Year), Ellen Binegar, Fairfield (C0-Coach of the Year), and Paula Armstrong, North Adams (C0-Coach of the Year). (Photo courtesy of the Southern Hills Athletic Conference)

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

After a rainy and lengthy spring sports season, the Southern Hills Athletic Conference recently announced its All-Conference Teams, voted on by the coaches. The softball All-Conference Team includes 19 names, eight of those coming from the four Adams County schools- three from Peebles, two each from Manchester and North Adams and one from West Union. The county also produced one of the conference’s Coaches of the Year.

Though they finished just 3-9 in conference play (6-15 overall), the Peebles Lady Indians, placed a trio of players on the All-Conference Team. Junior pitcher Kaelyn Musser was 6-15 with an earned run average of 4.67, striking out 163 batters in 130.1 innings of work. At the plate, Musser went 22-60 for a .360 average with seven extra-base hits, including a pair of home runs. Musser scored 19 runs and drove in 12 with eight stolen bases.

Also from Peebles, freshman Kendall Myers was 33-64 at the plate, hitting .516 (fifth in SHAC). Myers pounded out 15 extra-base hits, including 10 doubles and three homers, She scored 22 runs and drove home 20 with a .587 on-base percentage.

Peebles senior Abigail Smalley was also named All-Conference, after going 31-69 (.449) with six doubles and 16 runs batted in. Smalley scored nine runs and had an on-base percentage of .486.

The Manchester Lady Greyhounds finished 10-3 in conference play (18-5 overall) and placed second in the small school division behind 12-1 Fairfield. Two Lady Hounds received All-Conference honors, beginning with sophomore catcher Ellianna Applegate. Applegate blossomed in her second season, hitting .476 (30-63) and finishing fourth in the SHAC with 30 runs batted in. She scored 31 runs and banged out 16 extra-base hits, including six home runs (second in SHAC). Behind the plate, Applegate committed just two errors, finishing with a fielding percentage of .857.

Also from Manchester, senior pitcher Rylie Young made her annual appearance on the All-Conference Team and was also named as the SHAC Co-Player of the Year along with Fairfield’s Jobey Hattan. In the center circle, Young was 17-4 with an ERA of 1,46 (both second in SHAC) and struck out 225 opponents in 115 innings pitched. She also tossed six shutouts in an impressive senior season. At the plate, Young led the SHAC with a batting average of .627 (37-59) and scored 40 runs. She had 21 extra-base hits, eight doubles, seven triples and six home runs (second in SHAC). Young was also second in the SHAC with 34 runs batted in and had an outstanding .693 on-base percentage.

The North Adams Lady Devils finished 8-5 in conference play (10-13 overall), which earned their head coach, Paula Armstrong, honors as the Co-Coach of the Year plus a pair of All-Conference athletes. Junior catcher Paige Evans was one of the most dangerous clutch hitters in the conference, hitting .526 (41-78), third in the conference leaders. Evans scored 26 runs with 14 extra-base hits, including five triples and a pair of homers. The North Adams backstop led the SHAC with 39 RBI’s and her work behind the place resulted in a .968 fielding percentage with 13 assists.

Also from North Adams, junior pitcher Carlee Garrison earned All-Conference recognition, going 10-9 with an earned run average of 3.14, fanning 124 hitters in 111.1 innings pitched. With the bat in her hands, Garrison hit .366 (30-82) and scored 34 runs with seven extra-base hits (one home run). Garrison drove in 12 runs with a .416 OBP.

The West Union Lady Dragons struggled in conference play but did place one player on the All-Conference Team, senior catcher Olivia Lewis. Lewis went 17-46 (.370) for the spring, scoring 13 runs and collecting seven extra-base hits, six of those two-baggers. Lewis also stole 11 bases and had a .453 on-base percentage.

The remainder of the 2025 SHAC All-Conference Softball Team includes: Noel Barnhill and Sophia Michael (Lynchburg); Lilly Carlier and Victoria Thompson (Fayetteville); Allie Grooms and Maddi Simpson (Eastern Brown); Jobey Hattan, Rilee Quickle and Carly Sanders (Fairfield); Brooklyn Manning and Grace Taylor (Ripley).

All of the All-Conference Team was recognized at the SHAC Spring Sports Awards, held on June 3 at Eastern Brown High School.

2025 SHAC Softball Final Standings

Division I

Lynchburg 10-3

Eastern Brown 9-4

North Adams 8-5

Peebles 3-9

West Union 0-11

Division II

Fairfield 12-1

Manchester 10-3

Fayetteville 7-6

Ripley 2-11

Whiteoak 2-11