Kennedy DeMatteis, Frank, Lingenfelter, Gulvas, Heigel Honored as D9Sports Softball Award Winners

SHIPPENVILLE, Pa. – The 2017 D9Sports.com District 9 Softball Award winners know nothing but championships over the past two seasons.

District 9 Class 1A champion DuBois Central Catholic, which secured its second straight title and its second consecutive trip to the PIAA semifinals features the Offensive Player of the Year Jordy Frank, the Rookie of the Year Shay Gulvas and the Manager of the Year George Heigel.

Meanwhile, four-time District 9 Class 2A champion Moniteau, which lost in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs, has the MVP in Kennedy DeMatteis, who is also co-Pitcher of the Year with Punxsutawney’s Kylee Lingenfelter after the Lady Chucks took home a second consecutive D9 title (4A this year) while also falling in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs.

2017 D9SPORTS.COM SOFTBALL AWARD WINNERS

MVP: Kennedy DeMatteis, Moniteau, Senior

DeMatteis is the MVP for the second consecutive year (the award was instituted in 2016) after letting her pitching and hitting do the talking for the Lady Warriors, who went unbeaten in the regular season at 19-0 and cruised to their fourth straight D9 title winning a pair of playoff games by a combined score of 19-0 before falling to Chartiers-Houston, 1-0, in the PIAA first round.

Finishing off a brilliant four-year pitching career, DeMatteis was 21-1 with a 0.30 ERA. In 94 innings of work, she struck out 167 while walking just 29.

An offensive standout as well, DeMatteis hit .507 with 12 doubles, a triple, a home run, 39 RBIs and eight stolen bases.

In her career, the Gannon recruit was 79-4 in the circle with a 1.38 ERA. She had 722 strikeouts in 456 innings of work. Offensively, she hit .587 with 49 doubles, 10 triples, nine home runs and 162 RBIs.

CO-PITCHERS OF THE YEAR: Kennedy DeMatteis, Moniteau, Senior and Kylee Lingenfelter, Punxsutawney, Junior

DeMatteis numbers are above, as she earns at least a share of the Pitcher of the Year Award for the second straight season (in the award’s second year).

Lingenfelter, who has already committed to Penn State, was just as strong going 14-1 with a 0.55 ERA. In 101 ⅔ innings of work, she struck out 206 and walked 26.

In three seasons in the circle, Lingenfelter is 27-10 with a 0.89 ERA. She has 453 career strikeouts in 251 career innings.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jordy Frank, DuBois Central Catholic, Senior

Frank had a fantastic offensive year hitting .548 with seven doubles, eight triples, 10 home runs and 56 RBIs for the champion Lady Cardinals. She also stole 12 bases and had a 1.779 on-base plus slugging percentage.

This is the second consecutive year Frank, a St. Francis (Pa.) recruit, has earned the D9Sports.com Offensive Player of the Year Award, which has been in existence for two years.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Shay Gulvas, DuBois Central Catholic, Freshman

Gulvas burst onto the scene for DCC in 2017 and immediately found herself not only in the middle of the Lady Cardinals lineup but also as the starting shortstop for a team that ended up winning its third D9 title in the last four years while making a second consecutive trip to the PIAA playoffs.

She hit .362 with six doubles, two home runs, 28 RBIs and 10 stolen bases while slugging .920.

In the award’s second year, Gulvas is the second DCC player to earn Rookie of the Year honors joining Ashley Wruble, who took home the award in 2016.

MANAGER OF THE YEAR: George Heigel, DuBois Central Catholic

Heigel led DCC to a 23-2 record with the two losses coming against one-loss Punxsutawney, a Class 4A team, and PIAA Class 1A champion West Greene in the PIAA semifinals.

The Lady Cardinals won the District 9 1A title for the second straight year and for the third time in four years, and DCC won a pair of PIAA playoff games for the second year in a row as well before falling to West Greene in the semifinals.

Heigel’s ability to mix youth with experience helped keep DCC humming and should keep the Lady Cardinals in contention for years to come.