Softball Places Four On All-Region Team

The Emory University softball team has placed a total of four players on the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association's All-Atlantic Region Team. 

Highlighting the Emory honorees are senior Kim Bandy (Duluth, GA) and junior Cassie Walsh (Palm City, FL), who garnered first-team berths.  Bandy enjoyed a banner 2009 season, finishing No. 3 on the team and No. 6 among UAA players with a . 401 hitting average.  She tied for the team lead with 59 hits and topped the squad and the UAA with 42 RBIs, good for seventh place on the school's seasonal ladder. Her team-high seven triples tied for the No. 3 spot on the school's seasonal chart and she wound up with a team-leading 20 stolen bases.  Bandy was second on the club with 18 multi-hit contests and enjoyed three outings of four safeties.

Walsh, Emory's center fielder, earned her third All-Region honor and second to the first team with her selection this year as an at-large pick. Walsh finished the season No. 1 on the team and No. 3 among UAA players in hitting with a .424 average. A First-Team All-UAA pick  for the third straight campaign, she recorded 56 hits, the second-highest total on the squad, and was third with 30 runs scored.  Walsh was second on the team in stolen bases and was successful on all 15 of her base-stealing attempts. She totaled 16 multi-hit contests, third highest on the team.

The Eagles landed two players on the third team including senior pitcher Shanon Andersen (Sahuarita, AZ), freshman outfielder Jessica Thomas (Springfield, VA).

Andersen finished the campaign with a won-lost effort of 17-9 with her 34 appearances on the mound tying for the top spot on Emory's seasonal ladder.  A Second Team pick to the All-UAA Team, opponents ended the year hitting a paltry .168 against her.  Her ERA of 1.03 led the UAA and ranked fifth on the school's seasonal chart.  Andersen fanned a season-high 12 batters on three occasions including against the College of New Jersey (Mar. 8) in a 5-0 victory. Her average of 8.87 strikeouts per game (7 inn.) is second on Emory's seasonal list.  

Thomas made an immediate impact on the squad her rookie season,  ranking No. 2
on the team and No. 4 among UAA players with a .418 batting average. Named UAA Rookie of the Year, she tied for the team lead and the No. 2 spot in the UAA with a .667 slugging percentage.  Thomas slapped out a team and conference-leading 15 doubles.  She blasted a team-high six home runs and chalked up multi-hit games.  Her 59 hits tied for the team high and she came through with nine multi-RBI games.