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The Benedictine University softball team landed five
players on the 2006 All-Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference
Softball Team, it was announced. Four of the Eagles'
players - Melissa Kennedy, Kristin Bonk, Nikki Schlagel
and Shannon Walker - were First Team selections, while
Katie Bellich was named honorable mention.
Kennedy earned her third All-NIIC first team accolades
in as many years by leading the Eagles from the pitching
circle, as well as producing with the bat. Kennedy was
12-12 overall with a 2.13 earned run average. She was
the workhorse of Benedictine's staff, throwing 147.2
of a possible 280.2 innings. Opponents hit just .232
against her, thanks largely to a strikeout-to-walk ration
of 143-61. She started 24 games and completed 19, making
26 appearances overall. With the bat, Kennedy hit .276
with 17 runs and 11 runs batted in.
Bonk, a freshman designated player/catcher, led the
Benedictine team in batting with a .360 average in 86
at-bats. Bonk, who broke into the lineup on a reguular
basis midway through the season, led the squad in doubles
(7), triples (3), homeruns (4), runs batted in (30)
and slugging percentage (.651).
Schlagel picked up a second-consecutive All-NIIC first
team award, as well. The sophomore thirdbaseman hit
.297 in a team-leading 128 at-bats. She also led Benedictine
with 24 runs, as well as hitting six doubles and three
triples. Schlagel was 7-for-8 in steal attempts and
had a team-leading 16 walks.
Shannon Walker, a senior firstbaseman who played two
seasons at Benedictine, had a career year by batting
.348 with a team-high 40 hits (among which were a team-leading
seven doubles). Walker scored 15 runs and drove in 14
more. She also drew 14 walks and was hit three times
on her way to a team-topping .429 on-base average.
Bellich. a junior catcher, had a .273 batting average
and scored nine runs. She threw out four runners in
23 attempts and sported a .983 fielding percentage (in
345 chances).
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