Hoying named OAC Player of the Year for second straight year as Muskies garner numerous All-OAC honors

NEW CONCORD, OHIO, May 5, 2007 - Following its 10th straight Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament championship, the ninth-ranked Muskingum College softball team was honored by having junior catcher Kari Hoying named the Gayle Lauth OAC Player of the Year for the second straight year in addition to having seven players named All-Ohio Athletic Conference.

Against OAC opponents, Hoying batted .467 with 28 hits, 19 RBIs, five doubles and five home runs. Hoying had a .800 slugging percentage against OAC competition and recorded just two errors in 18 games behind the plate. This is the sixth consecutive year that a Fighting Muskie has won the OAC MVP Award (Hoying - 2006, Erica Hoyt - 2005, 2004, Mandy Carnes - 2003, 2002).

Hoying, senior first baseman Amy Iammarino and sophomore designated player Randi Dance where all named First Team All-OAC, while senior second baseman Kim Tackett, senior center fielder Molly Jones, junior third baseman Heather Fields and sophomore pitcher Amy Mattin were all named Second Team All-OAC.

Hoying has made the All-OAC First Team for three straight years. Iammarino, who is a three-time all-league honoree, hit .408, with 11 RBIs, five doubles, and one home run. Dance garnered first team accolades for the second straight season. Dance batted .390, with five home runs, 12 RBI and recorded a a .695 slugging percentage.

Tackett, a three-time all-league honoree, hit .355 with nine RBIs, seven doubles and two home runs and Jones batted .356 with seven doubles five RBI. Mattin posted a 10-1 record with a 1.88 ERA in 63.1 inning pitched. Mattin recorded 53 strikeouts and registered four complete games. Fields hit .347 with 17 hits, nine RBI and two doubles.

The Player-of-the-Year award is named in honor Gayle Lauth, who was an administrator of women's sports at Ohio Northern for 32 years. The All-OAC Softball Team is selected by the League coaches and are based on OAC statistics.