Bogue Chitto catcher Christian Black had a stellar season for the Lady Cats as she was among the leaders in BC’s rebuilding year. Black posted a .634 batting average and smashed 11 home run on the season. Bogue Chitto finished as the No.2 seed in the Region 7-1A race and was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.

For her performance, Black has been selected the Most Valuable Player on The Daily Leader’s 2013 All-Area Slowpitch Softball Team.

Two more special Daily Leader awards went to senior pitcher Heather Moak of West Lincoln, who was selected Most Valuable Defensive Player; and sophomore third baseman Katherine Shell of Brookhaven, who was selected Most Valuable Offensive Player.

Joining them on the All-Area Dream Team are pitchers Barri Rogers of Lawrence County and Cheyenne Gladden of Wesson.

Helping Black behind the plate is Julianna Porter of Brookhaven and Kaitlyn Smith of Wesson.

Joining Shell in the infield are Lauren Wells of North Pike, Jamie Martin of Lawrence County, Bailey Middleton of Wesson and Mattie Avants of Bogue Chitto.

The Dream Team’s flex players are Layton Sills of West Lincoln, Alexsundria Thomas of Lawrence County, Katie Kalusche of McComb and Macy Brabham of Franklin County.

The extra players are Madison Bigner of North Pike, Leyton Terrell of McComb, Alycen Speaks of Brookhaven and Sierra Bethley of Franklin County.

The outfielders are Micah Redd of West Lincoln, Mallory Allen of Bogue Chitto, Rickera Martin of North Pike, Jamecia Starks of Franklin County and Ashley Bonds of McComb.

Bogue Chitto coach Scott Leggett said Black is an exceptional athlete on offense and defense.

Christian Black,  15, used her skills and leadership to help the Lady Cats offensively and defensively. With her talents, she can play many different positions in the infield. She is the daughter of Charles and Debora Black.

“I’m excited to be chosen for the most valuable player honor. It is a great honor,” Black said.

Black uses an Mizuno glove as a extension of her defensive skills in the infield. At the plate, she prefers to use an Rocket Tech bat to smash the ball. She posted a .634 batting average with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs.

How does Black describe her coach?

“Coach Leggett is a really good coach. He can hold his composure really well, especially in the worst situations.”

Christian Black plans to keep working hard to prepare for next season. She loves to play other sports including basketball and fastpitch softball. She also likes spend time with her friends.

Coach Leggett praised Black’s contributions. “Christian did a fantastic job for us this year. She was a vital part of our team and also led us in all major offensive categories. Black has hit higher than anyone I have ever coached. It is an honor to have the opportunity to coach her.”

Heather Moak,  17, is a senior right-hander also used her strong reflexes on defense to help her become a dominant pitcher for the Lady Bears with a 21-7-1 pitching record in her senior year. At the plate, she paced West Lincoln with a .384 batting average.

How did Moak develope into such a good defensive player?

“It took a lot of practice and long hours of working at it”

On Offense and defense, Moak uses a Louisville slugger bat and glove.

Outside the sports world, Moak said she enjoys spending time with friends, family, hunting, fishing and riding four-wheelers. She is the daughter of Lance and Misty Moak.

Heather Moak plans to attend college and pursue a career in physical therapy assistant.

West Lincoln coach Andrew Redd said, “Heather has always been a very dedicated player and leader for us. She missed last year with an injury, but having her back this year has really made a difference.

Katherine Shell,  16, sparkled at the plate for Brookhaven and plays third base on defense. She batted .623 and smashed 15 home runs to help lead the Lady Panthers in a successful slowpitch softball season. She loves using a Miken Maximum Velocity bat as her weapon of destruction in softball.

How did Shell develop into such a good hitter?

“I could not have done it without my coaches and my teammates. They have helped me become the player I am today by pushing and supporting me.”

Shell participates in many different activities for Brookhaven. She is the pitcher on the Lady Panthers fastpitch softball team. She is a member of the cheer squad and the Lady Panthers soccer team. She also likes being involved with pageants. Katherine Shell is the daughter of Matt and Lucy Shell.

Shell expressed her thoughts about BHS Coach Chad Walker. “Coach Walker is a great coach who pushes me. I am the type of person who needs a coach like that. He is always there encouraging me.”

Coach Walker stated, “Katherine wants to be the best and she will work hard at it. She is a very coachable athlete who will go the extra mile for all of our staff.”

Barri Rogers,  a sophomore, compiled a 22-5-1 record for Lawrence County At the plate, she batted .329.

Cheyenne Gladden,  a sophomore, posted a 20-10 record for the Wesson Lady Cobras.

Julianna Porter,  a junior, posted .455 batting average for the Brookhaven Lady Panthers.

Kaitlyn Smith,  a sophomore, batted .446 for Wesson. She had eight home runs and eight doubles to her credit.

Lauren Wells,  a senior, batted .589 and had 50 RBIs for North Pike.

Jamie Martin,  a junior, had a .489 batting average for Lawrence County.

 Bailey Middleton,  a senior, batted .453 for Coach Jackie Johnson’s Wesson Lady Cobras.

 Mattie Avants,  a senior, had a .373 batting average for Bogue Chitto.

Layton Sills,  a sophomore, batted .455 for the West Lincoln Lady Bears.

Alexsundria Thomas,  a sophomore, had a .419 batting average for Coach Meleah Howard’s Lawrence County Lady Cougars.

Katie Kalusche,  a junior, batted .414 for coach Cody Hall’s McComb Lady Tigers.

Macy Brabham,  a freshman, posted a .456 batting average for Franklin County.

Madison Bigner,  a freshmen, batted .510 for North Pike.

Layton Terrell,  a senior, batted .456 for McComb.

Alycen Speaks,  a senior, batted .391 for Coach Chad Walker’s Brookhaven Lady Panthers.

Sierra Bethley,  a sophomore, had a .383 batting average for Franklin County.

Micah Redd,  a junior, played outfield for the Lady Bears and posted a .455 batting average.

Mallory Allen,  a junior, had a solid year for the Lady Bobcats with a .448 batting average.

Rickera Martin,  a junior, provided a .415 at the plate for the Lady Jaguars.

Jamecia Starks,  a junior, played a big role in Franklin County’s rebuilding year. She posted a .414 battling average.

Ashley Bonds,  a senior, finished with a .357 average for the McComb Lady Tigers.