Donaldson tabbed Class 1A all-state softball Pitcher of the Year; 9 from county selected
Since setting foot in the pitcher's circle, Meyersdale junior hurler Izabella Donaldson has owned it.
She dazzled once again this past season, helping the Red Raiders to a 21-1 record while earning the program's fifth straight WestPAC title and third consecutive District 5 Class 1A championship. For her exceptional season, Donaldson was named Class 1A all-state Pitcher of the Year by the Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association on Thursday.
"This feels really good that people are seeing my hard work that I've done throughout my softball career," Donaldson said. "I've put in a lot of work that people don't see, and it is great to be recognized for it.
"My dad has sat on a lot of buckets (to catch). I just want to thank my friends, family, teammates, coaches and parents."
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Donaldson, who collected her second straight first team all-state honor, was an impressive 16-1 with an 0.62 ERA. She gave up 13 runs, seven earned, on 45 hits, 12 walks and struck out 156 batters in 79⅔ innings.
She also contributed at the plate. Donaldson tallied a team-high 42 RBIs, 38 hits and 13 home runs. She delivered eight doubles and two triples. Donaldson also had a team-high 1.328 slugging percentage and a .603 on-base percentage. She finished second on the Red Raiders with 37 runs scored.
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Donaldson is joined by six Red Raiders on the all-state team. Junior first baseman Zoe Hetz earned her second straight first-team selection while sophomore outfielder Amber Long also garnered first-team honors. Junior shortstop Marcella Dupre picked up her second straight second-team selection. Senior catcher Shelby Hetz, senior third baseman Amelia Kretchman and junior second baseman Laurel Daniels were all chosen to the second team.
Also earning second-team accolades were Shade senior second baseman Jenna Muha and junior shortstop Kori Boozer.
Meyersdale coach Tim Miller could not be more elated for his Red Raiders and their accomplishments.
"When I saw the list and saw we had seven girls on the team, I was amazed," Miller said. "I'm very excited for our seniors. They were our leaders. To end their careers with an all-state selection, that is pretty amazing for them.
"As for everybody else, it is well deserved for all of them. The hard work pays off, and it shows. It is amazing for them to be recognized as some of the top players in the state from small school Meyersdale. I'm happy and super proud of all of the girls."
Zoe Hetz batted .411 and had a .714 slugging percentage in 18 games played. She provided 24 RBIs, 23 hits, including five doubles, four home runs and 19 runs scored. She had a .981 fielding percentage. Despite missing some time and playing through a knee injury, Hetz made significant contributions.
"This is really exciting," Zoe Hetz said of her second straight all-state nod. "I was honestly surprised when Tim (Miller) told me. It was pretty shocking, but this feels good and very rewarding. This year, if I had a bad game, I pushed myself and wanted to do better.
"I want to thank my coaches, teammates and definitely my parents."
Long moved from second base to left field this season. She finished second on the Red Raiders in hits with 34. She had nine doubles, four home runs, 24 RBIs and scored a team-high 39 runs. Long had an .820 slugging percentage. She also went 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA in the circle.
"I am honored to have been selected," Long said. "There's a lot of girls that put a lot of time and work into this season. It was a great year for the team. For me, I feel like I can play anywhere. It wasn't that big of a change. Ever since I was little, I played different positions, so I've worked my way up to know those positions.
"Congratulations to all my other teammates that were selected as well. I want to thank Coach Miller and coach (Jessica) Deakins for all the time, support and care they gave us throughout the season."
Dupre batted .403 and tallied 25 hits, including four triples, three doubles, a home run and nine RBIs to go along with 35 runs scored. She paced Meyersdale with 12 stolen bases. Dupre had a .962 fielding percentage with only one error in 22 games.
"For me, I think being a good teammate is more important than any honor you can get," Dupre said. "It's an honor to play softball at the high school level, and that's more important to me than any of the awards I have received.
"I know there's still a lot of room for improvement for next year. We are going to have to work harder than ever before, but I think the state title is something we can get if we work hard."
Daniels returned from a knee injury and batted .466 with 27 hits, including eight doubles, five home runs, 30 runs scored and 26 RBIs. She had an .862 slugging percentage. She also went 3-0 in the circle with a 2.41 ERA in nine appearances.
"I am very grateful, thankful and happy," Daniels said of the selection. "Coming back off that knee injury, honestly, I thought I'd come back and be strong, but to make it a full year was awesome. This is just great."
Kretchman had a stellar season. She batted .524 and had a .746 slugging percentage. Kretchman provided 33 hits, including four home runs, two doubles, 32 RBIs, 28 runs scored and six stolen bases.
"This year, I had a lot of courage. I just wanted to have fun," Kretchman said. "This means a lot to me. I've never had something like this happen in all of my years of playing three different sports. This is awesome.
"I'm just very proud of my teammates and everyone that got selected. I am proud of how far we went as a team and I'm so glad I got to play with them."
Shelby Hetz has been the anchor behind the plate the past two seasons. She batted .441 with 30 hits, including 10 doubles, two home runs, 19 RBIs and seven runs scored.
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"It feels great to be part of this selection, especially my senior year because it shows and proves the work that my teammates and I have put in this season," Shelby Hetz said.
Meanwhile, Muha picked up her third all-state nod this scholastic sports year. She was a first-team volleyball and basketball honoree as well. She led the Panthers with a .583 batting average and 43 RBIs. Muha was tied for the team lead with 35 hits, including six doubles, five home runs and four triples. She had a 1.066 slugging percentage, a .612 on-base percentage and scored 24 runs. Muha had a .917 fielding percentage.
"First, I just want to thank all of the coaches that have gotten me to this point and the endless hours we put in," Muha said. "Coach Craig (Glessner), Randy (Stutzman) and Fred (Corradini) but also my former coaches Jason Baer and Sandy Mauger. They brought me back in to softball after my freshman year. I enjoyed it the last three years. It's pretty cool that I could accomplish this much with their support and belief in me.
"My teammates and family saw something in me even in a sport that's not my favorite. I wasn't expecting this to be honest. To accomplish getting all-state in three sports is pretty awesome. It's a great recognition that people see my hard work."
Boozer, who attends Shanksville-Stonycreek but competes in a co-op with Shade, was tied for the team lead in hits with 35. She batted .574 with seven doubles, three triples, three home runs, a grand slam and nine stolen bases in 21 games. Boozer scored 36 runs and drove in 22.
"This is crazy," Boozer said of the honor. "As a small school, we never really get recognition. It is an absolute honor to be seen and heard whenever you're playing ball. I just want to thank everyone who made it possible."
Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on Twitter @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Nine Somerset County softball players selected to all-state team
