Stafford named Sectional Coach of the Year

The postseason awards continue to roll in for the Harrisburg High School softball team as four players were named to the All-State Team and head coach Red Stafford was named Sectional Coach of the Year.

Stafford, who just concluded his 23rd year, is 491-306 lifetime and has eight regional titles, three sectional championships and one super-sectional plaque to go with a state tournament appearance in the 2002 season.

This past year, Harrisburg went 31-7 and defeated Eldorado to win the Harrisburg Class 2A Regional and fell to Pinckneyville in the title game of the Du Quoin Sectional.

Individually, two players were named to the ICA Softball First Team and two players were named to the Second Team.

Madeline Rider, who will be going to Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this fall, along with SEMO signee Karsyn Davis were each named to the First Team.

Rider led the 'Dogs with a .524 batting average this past season and also had a team-high 66 hits in the lead off position, including a co-team high 12 home runs, setting a school record. Rider drove in 43 runs and scored a team-high 66 runs.

Davis finished this past year with a .513 batting average and shared the co-team-high home run honors with Rider as she hit 12 as well, finishing with 61 hits, including 36 single, 12 doubles and drove in a team-high 60 RBI and scored 19 runs.

Essence Sanders, an in-coming senior and sophomore-to-be Kerrigan Payne were the two Harrisburg players named to the Second Team.

Sanders was second on the team in batting average, hitting .523 and had 58 hits, including a team-high 40 singles, nine doubles, two triples, seven home runs and scored 55 runs, while driving in 46 runs.

Payne hit .392 and had 40 hits, including 21 singles, 12 doubles and seven home runs, while driving in 39 runs and scoring 22 runs.

Payne was also Harrisburg's No. 1 pitcher this season as she went 21-6 in the circle. She finished with a 2.24 ERA and struck out 126, while walking just 47. Payne gave up 189 hits, while allowing 91 runs (56 earned).

Spyder Dann covers prep and college sports for the Southern Illinois Local Media News Group. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.