ALL-AREA SOFTBALL TEAM

All-Area First Team

Honorable Mention

Amanda Bayerlein

Carol Giuffrida

Nicole McHenry

Sara Burgos

Carissa Licata

Alex Hartley

Rachel Rahal

Maddie Brister

Janira Guzman

Alicia Mello

Sarah Davis

Miesha McBride

Caitlin Justice

Andrea Sempsrott

Taylor Strickland

PLAYER OF THE YEAR SAM HARRELL

AMANDA BAYERLEINFort Pierce Central senior pitcherStats: Went 11-7 with 1 save, 117 strikeouts; batted .389 with 13 RBIs

MADDIE BRISTERVero Beach freshman catcherStats: .398 batting average, 1 home run, 20 RBIs, 16 RBIs

SARA BURGOSTreasure Coast freshman outfielderStats: .424 batting average, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 9 RBIs

SARAH DAVISOkeechobee junior first basemanStats: .405 batting average, 4 home runs, 24 RBIs, 19 runs

CAROL GIUFFRIDAJensen Beach senior shortstopStats: .282 batting average, 3 home runs, 18 RBIs, 16 runs scored

JANIRA GUZMANSt. Lucie West Centennial senior catcherStats: .453 batting average, 6 home runs, 22 RBIs

ALEX HARTLEY Lincoln Park junior center fielderStats: .585 batting average, 1 home run, 15 RBIs All-Area Spring Sports Schedule

SUNDAY

Girls TennisMONDAY

Boys TennisTUESDAY

Girls TrackWEDNESDAY

Boys TrackTHURSDAY

Girls LacrosseFRIDAY

Boys LacrosseSATURDAY

SoftballSUNDAY

Baseball

CAITLIN JUSTICEJensen Beach senior catcherStats: .315 batting average, 12 RBIs, 14 runs scored

CARISSA LICATAOkeechobee sophomore center fielderStats: .386 batting average, 1 home run, 8 RBIs, 21 runs scored

MIESHA MCBRIDELincoln Park senior catcher Stats: .388 batting average, 1 home run, 13 RBIs

NICOLE MCHENRYSt. Lucie West Centennial senior shortstopStats: .556 batting average, 8 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, 35 runs scored

ALICIA MELLOVero Beach senior third basemanStats: .330 batting average, three doubles, 13 RBIs

RACHEL RAHALJohn Carroll senior third basemanStats: .304 batting average, 2 home runs, 22 RBIs, 19 runs scored

ANDREA SEMPSROTTMaster’s Academy sophomore pitcherStats: Went 8-2 with 2.15 ERA, and50 strikeouts; batted .488 with 27 runs scored

TAYLOR STRICKLANDLincoln Park freshman pitcherStats: Went 18-5 with a 0.39 ERA and 162 strikeouts; batted .313 with 14 RBIs

BREANNA ALTIZERPort St. Lucie junior third baseman

LAUREN ASHESt. Lucie West Centennial senior second baseman

TORI BETHELSebastian River junior first baseman

ASHLEY CREELFort Pierce Westwood senior left fielder

BROOKE DEANJohn Carroll junior catcher

MCKAYLA ELAMMaster’s Academy junior infielder

MEREDITH FLYNNSt. Lucie West Centennial junior first baseman

KAYLI GEBHARDTSouth Fork freshman shortstop

AUTUMN GREENVero Beach freshman pitcher

MEGAN GUEVAREZPort St. Lucie sophomore shortstop

KENDALL HEDGECOCKVero Beach senior shortstop

TORI JOHNSONFort Pierce Central freshman catcher

HOLLY JONESJensen Beach junior pitcher

TAYLOR MARTINLincoln Park freshman shortstop

SHANESSA REESFort Pierce Central junior third baseman/pitcher

CAT RIZZUTIJensen Beach senior first baseman

MICHAELA SIHLERTreasure Coast sophomore infielder

ASHLEY WATSONOkeechobee senior utility

DIAMOND WILSONMartin County senior pitcher

EMILY WILKINSONPort St. Lucie junior pitcher

By Jon Santucci Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers

OKEECHOBEE — Sam Harrell stands in the middle of the pitching circle a lot like a poker player.

She wears sunglasses to keep hit-ters from knowing which of her five pitches she might throw. She’s su-premely focused on the task at hand and refuses to give in or give up.

“She has the mentality that she’s not going to lose,” Okeechobee coach Christina Bragman said. “She had a phenomenal season. She practiced hard, pitched well, averaged 10 strikeouts a game and worked hard on her movement.

“She was just eager to pitch her heart out.”

Harrell was outstanding all year, but took her game to another level in the postseason.

After a closer-than-expected dis-trict semifinal — in which Harrell finished with a shutout but left the bases loaded for the final out of the game — she threw three consecutive shutouts to help Okeechobee reach the regional championship game.

For her efforts, Harrell is the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers Softball All-Area Player of the Year.

“I just wanted to lead my team fur-ther than we’ve ever gone before,”

said Harrell, who broke her own single-season strikeout record with 222. “None of the girls had ever gone that far before. We had a young team and they gave it their all.

“Toward the end, I really felt like I was on my game.”

Harrell’s postseason dominance

started with a one-hitter against Martin County in the District 12-7A championship game.

She then helped Okeechobee beat a pair of teams that had reached the Final Four in 2011. First it was a two-hitter against Sarasota, then a 10-strikeout performance against Bradenton-Braden River in the re-gional semifinal.

“I was just focused on leaving ev-erything on the field,” said Harrell, who has signed with Brevard Com-munity College. “I just tried to block everyone else out and make sure all of my spins were moving.”

Harrell started pitching when she was 7 years old and throws a screw-ball, rise ball, curveball, changeup and drop ball. She describes herself as a junk-ball pitcher who favors her screwball as an out-pitch.

She said she threw the screwball more than any other during the playoffs.

“If it’s a right-handed batter, the ball moves from left to right on the hands of the batter,” Harrell said. “I try to keep the batters guessing. Hit-ting is all about timing and I try to interrupt it.

“I think I did a good job this year, but I wish I could have took my team to states this year, though.

“All in all, it was a pretty good year.”

Cool and confidentSam Harrell kept batters guessing all season as

Okeechobee advanced to the regional final

Sam HarrellOkeechobee senior pitcherStats: Harrell posted a 14-4 record with a 1.26 ERA and 222 strikeouts in 150.1 innings pitched. She also had a .313 batting average with five doubles, one triple, 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored. Harrell was outstanding in the postseason, throwing three consecutive shutouts to help Okeechobee reach the Region 3-7A final.Okeechobee coach Christina Bragman: “She had a lot of movement on her pitches and she always strives hard and she stays on top. She never liked to fall behind. If she were to walk somebody or give up a hit, she’s coming back with three straight strikes and challenging the batter. She just had the mentality, ‘You’re not going to beat me.’ ”

Player of the Year

First Team continued

ALEX BOERNER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS

Okeechobee High School’s Sam Harrell is the 2012 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers All-Area Girls Soft-ball Player of the Year after helping the Brahmans reach the Region 3-7A championship game.

Sarah GilloolySchool: Fort Pierce Central Years with team: 3This season: After starting the season 0-4, Fort Pierce Central finished the year 12-7 for its first winning season since 1997. The Cobras took Region 3-7A finalist Okeechobee to the brink in the District 12-7A semifinal, loading the bases in the seventh inning before falling 5-3. Central was the only team to score against Okeechobee pitcher Sam Harrell in the Brahmans’ first four postseason games. Quotable: “I am so proud of the season that our girls had. They worked so hard as a group and that’s why we had the year we had — because we worked together. I can’t even tell you how proud I am of those girls.”

Coach of the Year

The TeamThe 2012 All-Area Softball Team was compiled by Jon Santucci.

6C » Saturday, June 9, 2012 » S C R I P P S T R E A S U R E C O A S T N E W S PA P E R S » T C