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Summer Rerun: Biere, Pruismann repeat 1st-team NCC selections

Brown and Schnathorst land on 2nd team, O’Connell put on 3rd team

By Troy Banning, DFJ Sports Editor
POSTED: July 29, 2010

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WEBSTER CITY - Webster City freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Biere was the toughest pitcher to hit in the North Central Conference this season, a fact the statistics fully support.

Off all the pitchers that stepped into the circle for the majority of innings in league play, the Lynx right-handed hurler topped the competition when it came to fewest earned runs allowed, earned run average, strikeouts and fewest hits allowed.

That's why it came as no surprise that Biere earned her second straight first-team all-conference accolade when the teams were announced earlier this week. Biere and fellow first-team pitcher, Jordan Florey of champion Fort Dodge St. Edmond, were both unanimous selections.

Webster City senior Mikaela Pruismann was a repeat first-team selection as well. A member of the outfield in 2009, the speedster claimed her spot on the infield this season after moving to second base midway through the campaign.

"Those two girls are very deserving because they worked hard at it all year," Webster City head coach Jessica Kastler said. "They were always in the gym and always in the weight room trying to get better for softball."

Webster City landed two second-team spots for junior shortstop Kelsey Brown and eight-grade centerfielder Kaylee Schnathorst. Junior catcher Jessica O'Connell was a third-team selection.

St. Edmond set the pace with four first-team members. Eagle Grove and Iowa Falls-Alden both finished behind runner-up Webster City in the standings, but both moved in front of the Lynx in postseason accolades with three first-team spots.

Other unanimous selections included Eagle Grove catcher Steph Choquette, Humboldt infielder Jos Arnold, Algona outfielder Chelsea Korf and utility player MacKenzie Siefken, Clear Lake outfielder Rea Faber, St. Edmond outfielder Caitlin Finucan, and Iowa Falls-Alden outfielder Brittney Hammond.

Biere went 13-4 against league opponents. In 110 2?3 innings she surrendered just four earned runs and posted a 0.25 earned run average. Conference foes accumulated just 45 hits and struck out 141 times.

"Kaitlyn went out there and did her job every night," Kastler said. "In the conference we had two pitchers that were very good, and the rest of the coaches understood that."

Pruismann hit .390 in 59 conference at-bats. She produced 23 hits, scored 15 runs and swiped 16 bases - all team highs. The versatile player also made just two errors after making the transition from centerfield to second base.

"Most of the teams in our conference saw (Pruismann) play second base, and I thought she did an outstanding job there," Kastler said.

Schnathorst hit at a .333 clip in her first conference season, while Brown turned in a .310 average. They both smacked 13 hits, and combined to score 24 runs and drive in 25 more.

Schnathorst stole 10 bases, and Brown bashed four home runs.

O'Connell's value was behind the plate where she made just one error handling the majority of Biere's pitches. She also threw out five runners attempting to steal.

 
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