Galesburg, IL – The Midwest Conference is recognizing a Prairie Fire softball player for having a standout season in 2012.
The league on Wednesday announced that sophomore Amber Eisha (South Wilmington, IL, Gardner-South Wilmington) was named one of 12 players named to the Midwest Conference South Division First Team as a pitcher. She also was an all-conference selection last season as a pitcher and an infielder.
Eisha made 22 appearances in the circle, completing 13 of the 15 games she started and tossing three shutouts. She finished the season with six victories, one save, and a 4.79 earned run average.
Eisha was particularly effective in her last five appearances, three of them starting assignments. She won all three starts, including back-to-back shutouts on April 24 and April 26, and earned a save in one of her two relief appearances. Eisha threw 29 1/3 innings over her last five appearances, recording 29 strikeouts and lowering her ERA nearly a full run per game.
Eisha was in the top 10 in the Midwest Conference in six pitching categories in 2012.
She ranked fifth in appearances (22) and games started (15), was sixth in strikeouts (62), tied for sixth in wins (6) and games finished (7), and she was eighth in the league in innings pitched (102 1/3).
Eisha had a strong year at the plate as well. Her .367 batting average was second on the team behind first-year infielder Rhiannon Neuville-Norton (Eugene, OR, South Eugene) (.387/3rd MWC) and tied for eighth in the Midwest Conference.
Eisha had 29 hits, which tied Neuville-Norton for the team lead, including a team-high two home runs. She was tied for the second-most runs batted in on the squad with first-year infielder Jenna Butler (Downers Grove, IL, Downers Grove North). Junior outfielder Avecena Hollingsworth (Tigard, OR, Tigard) led the way with 17 RBI.
Besides batting average, Eisha ranked in the top 10 in the MWC in three other offensive categories. She was tied for fourth in doubles (8), eighth in on base percentage (.419), and ninth in slugging percentage (.544).
Eisha hit opposing pitchers from the Midwest Conference especially hard. She batted .524 (11-for-21) with one home run and four runs batted in while posting a .565 on base percentage and an .810 slugging percentage in seven league contests.
The Prairie Fire ended the season with three straight wins and improved by two victories in 2012 compared to the 2011 season.
The All Midwest Conference selections from the South and North Divisions, along with the individual awards, are online at http://www.midwestconference.org/news/2012/5/16/SB_0516122402.aspx
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