Chautauqua Lake junior pitcher Cayzlee Johnson was named the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 West Player of the Year after leading the Eagles to a perfect league record and championship.
OBSERVER File Photo by Christian Storms
The Chautauqua Lake softball team lost several key pieces from last season, but the Eagles had no problem transitioning into this season.
Division I pitcher Olivia Herrington graduated and went on to Canisius University and state championship-winning coach Sue Teets stepped down.
The replacements?
Junior Cayzlee Johnson transitioned from shortstop into the circle and Katie Yudin took over as the head coach. The results couldn’t have been better in league action as the Eagles cruised to a perfect 10-0 league record and outscored opponents 118-31 this year.
Over the entire season, Johnson pitched 96 innings with a 14-1 record, struck out 137 batters, allowed 21 runs and only 11 earned, posted a 0.802 ERA and held opponents to a .129 batting average. Then, at the plate, she hit .531 with 14 doubles, three triples, a homer, 16 RBIs and slugged .919 to claim the league’s Player of the Year honors.
Westfield junior Eva Gnadzinski was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year.
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Yudin and her assistants Norm Smith and Chris Fairbank earned Coach/Staff of the Year Honors.
Chautauqua Lake added two more players to the First Team in sophomore third baseman Lucy Gates hitting .465 with 24 hits, 7 doubles, 4 triples, 1 HR, 12 RBIs, 19 runs and slugged .639; and freshman catcher Karagan Fairbank hit .450 with 23 hits, 3 doubles, a triple, 12 RBIs, 13 runs and slugged .500. Jillian Miller and Alice Scarpine were named to the Second Team for the Eagles and Kinslee Motter received honorable mention.
Eva Gnadzinski filled in some big shoes for Westfield, replacing Haleigh Dellow in the circle, and she helped the Wolverines to second in the league while claiming Pitcher of the Year honors.
Gnadzinski pitched 86.1 innings with a 12-2 record, struck out 70, gave up just 22 runs, posted a 1.901 ERA and held opponents to a .177 average. Gnadzinski also hit .500 with 31 hits, 13 doubles, a triple, 3 HR, 20 RBIs, 28 runs and slugged .870.
The Wolverines added three to the league’s First Team in seniors Tanleigh Bestine and Drew Ernewein and junior Sydney Hotchkiss. Bestine hit .512 with 30 hits, 4 doubles, 5 triples, a HR, 21 RBIs, 29 runs, 11 stolen bases and slugged .837; Ernewein hit .417 with 24 hits, 9 doubles, 4 triples, a HR, 22 RBIs, 22 runs and slugged .806; and Hotchkiss hit .406 with 28 hits, 4 doubles, a triple, a HR, 21 RBIs, 20 runs and slugged .565.
Chautauqua Lake’s Lucy Gates was named to the CCAA D2 West First Team.
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Mackenzie Schumaker, Madyson Burgess and Keara Kincaid earned Second Team spots for the Wolverines, while Brynn Ernewein and Avery Smith were honorable mention.
Janelle Burchanowski and Elli Bodamer represented Clymer/Sherman on the First Team. Burchanowski hit .556 with 30 hits, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 19 RBIs, 20 runs and slugged .889; Bodamer hit .393 with 22 hits, a double, a triple, 12 RBIs and slugged .464. On top of hitting, Bodamer pitched 110 innings with a 9-7 record, struck out 100 batters, gave up 30 earned runs, posted a 1.909 ERA and held opponents to a .211 batting average.
The Wolves added Lily Martin and Kelsey Wagner to the Second Team, while Olivia Maleski was honorable mention.
Panama seniors Sarah Harvey and Corinne Hovey earned First Team selections. Hovey hit .415 with 17 hits, 2 doubles, a triple, slugged .512 and posted a perfect fielding percentage and Harvey hit .385 and slugged .384.
Kylie Morgan and Jessica Lyon were Second Team selections for Panama, while Kylie Range, Sharayah Fuller and Kaitlyn Horton were honorable mentions.
Westfield senior Tanleigh Bestine was named to the CCAA D2 West First Team.
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Paige Whippo represented Frewsburg on the First Team hitting .355 with 27 hits, 4 doubles, a triple, 9 RBIs, 10 runs and slugged .513. Braelyn Stelmack was Second Team for the Bears, while Skylar Waid and Teghan Trocki were honorable mentions.
Lydia Darr was First Team for Maple Grove after hitting .450 with 27 hits, 2 doubles, 14 RBIs, and slugged .450. The Red Dragons added Dani Trim and Alex Halstrom to the Second Team, while Alex Caldwell and Harper Dawes were honorable mentions.
Emiley Anderson rounded out the First Team from Cassadaga Valley after hitting .460 with 23 hits, 2 doubles, a triple, 2 HRs and slugged .660. Hailey Anderson earned Second Team and Andrea Johnson was honorable mention for the Cougars.
The Team Sportsmanship Award went to Cassadaga Valley, while the individuals included Chautauqua Lake’s Alexis Delcamp, Westfield’s Arielle Corbett, Clymer/Sherman’s Olivia Maleski, Panama’s Fuller, Frewsburg’s Mackenzie Martin, Maple Grove’s Dawes and Cassadaga Valley’s Denza Fanara.