by Alan Hoskins
Seven Kansas City Kansas Community College Blue Devils have earned recognition on the NJCAA All-District softball team for the 2014 season.
The selections are headed by outfielder Mierra Morrisette, who has been nominated for the NJCAA All-American team.
Morrisette is joined on the first team by third baseman Lacey Santiago, outfielder Justice Scales and pitcher Leslie Ford while second team selections include second baseman Amanda Holroyd, shortstop Hanna Barnhart and catcher Megan Dike. All are sophomores with the exception of Scales and Ford and all hit .388 or better except Ford, the ace of the pitching staff of a Blue Devil team that finished 32-15.
A sophomore from Olathe who played high school softball at Notre Dame de Sion, Morrisette led the Blue Devils in hitting (.494) and runs-batted-in (50). Her .494 average was 20th best in the nation. A two-year starter, she also led in hitting as a freshman with a .459 average. Equally impressive, Morrissette played two full seasons without an error in leftfield.
The one-two hitters in the KCKCC lineup, Santiago hit. 464 from the leadoff position while Scales hit .491 at No. 2. A two-time All-Region selection, Santiago finished 46th in the nation in hitting and led in stolen bases with 14 and drove in 23 runs. A freshman from SM South who was 21st nationally in batting, Scales was second in hitting (.491), first in extra base hits (29) and third in RBI (41).
A righthander from Garden City, Ford was the workhorse of the Blue Devil pitching staff with 186 innings, fourth most in the nation. Completing all of her 30 starts, she finished with a 22-8 record and 1.71 earned run average that was No. 30 nationally. Her seven shutouts included three no-hitters, the most of any pitcher in the Jayhawk Conference. Seventh in the nation in strikeouts with 183, she also hit .276 with 12 RBI.
All three of the second team selections are from the immediate area. A Bishop Ward grad, Hanna Barnhart hit .400 with 26 RBI. Amanda Holyrod; a graduate of Tonganoxie, batted .391 and was second in RBI with 45; and Lansing native Megan Dike hit .388 with 21 RBI.