May 18, 2006 @ 3:49 pm
The success of this years Raider Softball team has become apparent as the Western Region All-Star teams were announced today.
Western Region MVP Yukari KuranukiLeading the way in the coaches balloting was the Western Region's Most Valuable Player, sophomore sensation Yukari Kuranuki. Yukari led the Raiders offensively and defensively this year. She was at, or near, the top of every offensive statistical category in the NWAACC. The international student who came to Pierce from Kyoto, Japan, has been an inspirational leader on the field and an outstanding student in the classroom.
The Raiders' other sophomore standout, Rachel Kalac, led an impressive group of Pierce players selected as First Team All-Stars. Kalac has been the cornerstone of the Raider infield, playing nearly every game of her two-year career at shortstop. Rachel had an outstanding season at the plate, improving in every area of her game.
Three Raider freshmen were also selected as First Team All-Stars: Kayla Jayne, Ashley Svarthumle, and Sarah Pruitt. Kayla, played most of the season at second base, and had an outstanding year offensively. She was also near the top of every statistical category in the conference. Ashley provided some unexpected, but much needed power to the Raiders line-up, leading the team in home runs and runs batted in. Sarah, known as "The Horse" to her teammates, shouldered most of the pitching duties this year and finished second in the NWAACC with 23 victories.
The Raiders also showed well on the Western Region Second Team All-Stars, placing three additional players on the list. Freshmen Sarah Curley, Tiffany Qualls, and Kristin Wellentin all had outstanding seasons and contributed each and every game to the team's success.
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May 17, 2006 @ 8:32 pm
The 2006 Raider Softball team is going where no other Raider team has gone since 1995 — the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges' Championship Tournament! The Raiders completed their incredible turnaround season by taking second place in the Western Division, with a 23-7 league record (up from 6-24 in 2005). Led by sophomore standouts Yukari Kuranuki and Rachel Kalac and supported freshmen sensations Ashley Svarthumle, Kayla Jayne, Sarah Curley, Sarah Pruitt, Tiffany Qualls, Kristin Wellentin, and Jazmin Mercado, the Raiders open tournament play Friday, May 19, with a 9:00 a.m. game against Walla Walla Community College. The tournament is being hosted at Delta Park in Portland, Oregon, and will run Friday through Sunday. The Raiders will play their second round game at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, against either Bellevue CC or Mt. Hood CC. The team plans to play through to the championship game on Sunday, and expect to bring home nothing less than the program's first trophy since the 1984 season.
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May 17, 2006 @ 8:14 pm
The 2006 Raider Softball team completed one of the biggest turnarounds in the history of Pierce College Athletics by finishing the season in Second Place of the newly formed Western Division of the NWAACC. This year's Raiders compiled a league record of 23-7, after finishing a dismal 6-24 last season. Second year head coach Chris DeMiero and his staff built the foundation of the team around returning sophomores Rachel Kalac and Yukari Kuranuki and assembled one of the best recruiting classes in the Northwest. Kuranuki led the team in nearly every statistical category offensively, and played hard-nosed defense, whether at 3rd base or behind the plate. "Yuki" had an incredible .509 batting average, and led the entire NWAACC in hits, doubles, and runs scored. She also crushed nine home runs. Kalac, the defensive rock of the infield at shortstop, also had an outstanding year at the plate, batting .404, with nine home runs and 49 RBI's.
The Raider freshmen stepped up big and had outstanding years. Ashley Svarthumle (Mt. Si) led the Raiders with 14 home runs, and had a .441 average with 67 runs batted in. Ashley spent most of the season at catcher and 3rd base. Second baseman Kayla Jayne (also from Mt. Si) hit .401 with nine home runs, and finished second in the NWAACC with 70 runs scored. Sarah Curley (Curtis) hit .446, drove in 52 runs, and finished second in the NWAACC with 54 singles. Tiffany Qualls hit a solid .402 even though she was hampered most of the season with injuries. Sarah Pruitt shouldered the bulk of the pitching duties for the Raiders and finished the year with 23 wins, second most in the NWAACC. Kristin Wellentin and Jazmin Mercado were solid performers for the Raiders and provided many clutch performances throughout the team's successful season.
The Raiders will head to Portland later this week to take part in the NWAACC's Championship Tournament.
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