Newton Leads Four UVA-Wise All-AAC Softball Honorees

May 7, 2007

2007 All-AAC Lady Cavs (L-R): Mary Wilson, Amanda Wheeler, Shelley Newton & Britney Lawson.

Wise, VA– Junior Shelley Newton led the UVa-Wise four All-Appalachian Athletic Conference honorees announced on Wednesday afternoon. Newton, the team’s top hitter, was joined by junior pitcher Amanda Wheeler and sophomore outfielders Britney Lawson and Mary Wilson.

The quartet of Lady Cavs (29-23) helped the team take its fourth AAC regular season title in a row and fifth in six years. The team fell in the AAC championship contest to Virginia Intermont but will move onto the NAIA Region XII tournament for the seventh year in a row starting Wednesday at the Athens Regional Park in Athens, Tenn.

For the third straight year, Newton from Chesapeake, Va. takes home the all-conference acclaim for the Lady Cavs. The catcher leads the squad in six categories including average (.385), hits (62), doubles (15), home runs (10), runs batted in (55) and slugging percentage (.677). Newton also is second in runs scored (41) and third in drawing walks (19). She has 17 multi-hit outings including a nine rbi game against St. Francis ( Ind.) back in March. In three seasons, the catcher is hitting .344 (167 hits in 486 at bats) with 18 homers and 129 rbi.

Pitcher Wheeler earned her first league honors. The Jonesborough, TN native lead the Lady Cavs with 14 wins, 28 mound appearances, 21 complete games, two shout outs, 155.1 innings pitched while having a 2.48 earned run average and 76 strikeouts. Wheeler had won her last four decisions before the AAC tournament. She had 26 victories in three year with 195 strikeouts and 2.32 ERA in 337.1 innings.

In her second year patrolling centerfield, Lawson has improved in every offensive category this season. The Duffield, Va. product is tops on the squad in runs scored (48), triples (5), home runs (10), walks (23) and stolen bases (22). Lawson is also second on the club with a .341 average, 57 hits, eight doubles and a .629 slugging percentage while third in rbi (28). Over two seasons, the second-year player is hitting .328 (112 for 341) with 11 triples, 11 home runs, 50 rbi and 40 stolen bases.

Right fielder Mary Wilson rounded out the quartet. The sophomore has quadrupled her home run total to four this season while driving in 23 runs and hitting .246. The Virginia Beach, Va. native had 66 hits, five home runs and 44 rbi in her time at UVa.-Wise.