All-star high school softball game set for Thursday
Published 11:28 pm Wednesday, June 12, 2013
All-Star Week kicks off Thursday, as the East and West squads meet on the softball diamond at Port Arthur Memorial.
The game will be played at 6:30 p.m., featuring many of the area’s softball stars getting one last chance to face each other in competition. The setting is also a return to memorable moments both for East head coach Dena Atkins, three of her players and a trio of Nederland players.
Nederland and LC-M met in a great playoff game decided by a walkoff home run in the bottom of the seventh inning at Memorial’s field in the regional round of the playoffs this season. LC-M won that game 3-2, but lost in the next round to Ridge Point 2-0.
LC-M’s Raven Cole, who was named District 20-4A MVP this season, is one of the three Lady Bears on the roster and is joined by teammates Kasie James and Kayleigh Roy. On the Nederland side are Jenny Freeman, Kelly Bergeron and Jensen Richard.
Other players from the area on the East squad include Memorial’s Aaliyah Howard, Bridge City’s Annelise Borg and Port Neches-Groves’ Ricki Gilbert.
The West squad will be coached by Splendora’s Casie Everitt and will feature a number of players from the Beaumont area, including Kelly’s Jaiden Rawls, Ozen’s Raquel Johnson and two West Brook players, including Hannah Blackmon and Bekah Blanda.
The teams will play a nine inning game, which is slightly longer than the normal high school softball game, so that all players will get a chance to participate.
East Team
Head coach: Dena Atkins, Little Cypress-Mauriceville
Kasie James- LC-M
Kayleigh Roy-LC-M
Raven Cole-LC-M
Annelise Borg-Bridge City
Aaliyah Howard-Port Arthur Memorial
Victoria Shelton-Newton
Haleigh Turley-Orangefield
Heather Folk-Kirbyville
Kacey Priddy-Warren
Josie Walters-Warren
Taylor Harvill-Lumberton
Hailey Campbell-Buna
Bailey Campbell-Buna
Cierra Roby-Silsbee
Ashley Bunner-Vidor
Jenny Freeman-Nederland
Kelly Bergeron-Nederland
Jenson-Richard-Nederland
Ricki Gilbert -Port Neches-Groves
West Team
Head coach: Casie Everitt, Splendora
Allison Meche-Liberty
Jaiden Rawls-Beaumont Kelly
Bailey Williams-Splendora
Riley Browder-Coldspring
Paige Edmonds-Kountze
Taylor Cole-Crosby
Jennifer Kilson-Crosby
Heaven-Lee Banda-Shepherd
Aurora Burks-Cleveland
Mattie East-East Chambers
Emily Neuman-East Chambers
Sarah Hughes-West Hardin
Raquel Johnson-Beaumont Ozen
Allie Harvey-Colmesneil
Randee Crawford- Livingston
Lana Lawrence-Anahuac
Hannah Blackmon-Beaumont West Brook
Bekah Blanda-Beaumont West Brook