Graduates Lexie Roberts and Taylor Apple receive softball season awards

By Bob Sutton

Especially for The Alamance News

Lexie Roberts of Mebane, a former Clover Garden student, was named Big South Conference softball player of the year in her sophomore season for Radford.

Roberts, an outfielder, had a league-leading batting average of .413, including .475 in conference games.

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She was a first-team All-Conference selection and was on the conference All-Academic list.

Of Roberts’ 62 hits, 55 were singles. She had five triples and two doubles.

Roberts had the highest totals in the Big South Conference with 38 runs scored and triples. She led Radford with 29 stolen bases.

She was the first Radford player in 12 years to be named softball player of the year.

The Highlanders finished the season with a record of 24-23.

Apple records strong first season

Rookie pitcher Taylor Apple of Western Alamance, East Carolina, was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Rookie team.

Apple was the Pirates’ best pitcher, posting an Earned Run Average (ERA) of 2.62 in 39 appearances, including 26 as a starter, which was the best on the team.

Apple’s record of 14-8 came with 106 strikeouts in 157 2/3 innings. She walked 66 batters. She was named to the AAC weekly honor roll twice.

East Carolina was a No. 7 seed in the AAC Tournament and reached the second round before the season ended last month in Wichita, Kansas.

The Pirates finished the season with an overall record of 38-19.