UMO softball has four on all-conference teams

MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive softball program featured four honorees on the All-Conference Carolinas Teams, highlighted by a trio of first-team selections.

Junior outfielder Courtlynn Cooney, junior utility player Kylie Emanuele and junior catcher Ashlyn Porter were each voted to the all-conference first-team, while junior pitcher Hannah Killough received second-team status. Additionally, Cooney and Porter earned all-defensive team honors at their respective positions.

After a breakout junior campaign, Cooney garnered first-team all-conference honors for a third straight season. She paced the Conference Carolinas and ranked fourth in NCAA Division II with a school record .503 batting average after serving as the leadoff hitter in 42 games this season. Additionally, Cooney led the league with 36 stolen bases, the second-most in a single season by a UMO player. She also finished among the top five in the league with a .526 on-base percentage, totaling 73 hits. Cooney registered 23 multi-hit games this year, including eight games with at least three hits, while recording a 24-game hitting streak. She also received all-defensive team honors for the first time in her career, as Cooney is one of the best centerfielders in the Conference Carolinas. Cooney tallied 39 putouts and three assists in conference play while not committing an error.

For the third consecutive year, Emanuele was voted first-team all-conference, including her second time as a utility player. She led the team with 13 doubles while tallying 10 home runs with a .362 batting average. Emanuele ranked sixth in the conference with a .738 slugging percentage and ninth overall in homers. She paced the Trojans with 13 multi-RBI performances, including four games with three RBI recorded. Emanuele played a majority of the season at third base.

Porter stepped into a starting role early in the season and delivered an outstanding year behind the plate for Mount Olive. In 33 games played with 31 starts, she boasted a .389 batting average with eight homers and 27 RBI while also registering five doubles. Porter ranked ninth in the Conference Carolinas with a .711 slugging percentage and totaled 11 multi-hit performances this season. She also garnered all-defensive team honors after recording 88 putouts, two caught stealing, and zero errors in league play.

In the circle, Killough earned All-Conference Carolinas honors for the second time in her career, as she was first-team recipient and Pitcher of the Year last spring. She finished with a 12-9 record and 13 complete games, including a no-hitter, with a 3.50 ERA in 131 innings pitched. Killough ranked second in the Conference Carolinas with 162 strikeouts while posting double-digit strikeouts in seven games. She led the league with 8.7 strikeouts per seven innings and ranked fifth with a 1.37 WHIP. In 22 starts, she registered three shutout performances while holding her opponents to a .210 batting average.

— From University of Mount Olive Athletics