THS earns four All-State spots
By Bart Moss / For the FCT
Six Franklin County softball players earned all-state honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
Four players from Tharptown – Ameliah Dawson, Olivia Ergle, Brooke Daily and Shaylee Wieting – made the list, joined by Russellville’s A.J. Taylor and Vina’s Abby Hester.
Dawson, a senior first baseman, earned first team honors in Class 1A. She had a batting average of .471, walked 11 times and was hit by a pitch 12 times.
Ergle, a sophomore pitcher for Tharptown, earned second team honors in Class 1A. She finished the season with a 13-10 record and 2.29 earned run average, striking out 161 batters and walking only 35.
Daily, a sophomore centerfielder for Tharptown, also earned second team honors in Class 1A. She led the team with 42 hits and batted .483 on the season. She amassed nine doubles, two triples and a grand slam home run. Daily also had 24 runs batted in and scored 29 times.
Wieting, another Tharptown sophomore, earned honorable mention in Class 1A for the second straight season. Wieting led the Wildcats from behind the plate as a catcher. She batted .389, stole 30 bases and scored 44 times. She had nine doubles and three triples.
Taylor, a sophomore centerfielder for the Golden Tigers, was a first team selection in Class 5A. Taylor batted .406 with five home runs and eight doubles. She had 34 runs batted in and scored 42 times. She also stole 25 bases.
Hester, a senior catcher for Vina, earned her way onto the list for a third straight year. She earned second team honors in Class 1A. Hester had a .537 batting average, stole 71 bases and scored 46 times.