Newton Citizen

COVINGTON - Rockdale's Ashleigh George and Eastside's Brianna Chambers have been named first-team selections on the GaSports.com 2007 Class AAAA Softball All-State Team.

Eastside's Brandi Richards was selected for the second team, while her teammate, Sierra Petree, was an honoroable mention choice.

George, a senior, played a crucial role in Rockdale's run the Class AAAA state sectionals.

The catcher hit a team-high .541 for the Lady Bulldogs with a team-high 40 hits, including six doubles, five triples and three home runs. She walked 24 times and had an on-base percentage of .653. The senior also scored 27 runs and stole 11 bases.

"Ashleigh was a true leader on and off the field for us. Her personality kept everybody together," Rockdale coach Holly Hamilton said. "In the clutch, she stepped up to play and did her job. She was a joy to have on the team and a joy to coach."

Chambers had an outstanding year for the Lady Eagles batting in the leadoff spot. As with any leadoff hitter, Chambers used her speed to her adavntage.

The junior had a .371 batting average and led Eastside in walks with 18. She also led the team in runs scored, crossing the plate 28 times, and she tied the team lead for triples with two. Chambers had a stolen-base success rate of 89 percent with 17 steals in 19 tries.

"She's always had a solid defense, but she did a great job on offense this year. She's a threat anytime she's on the base due to her speed," Eastside coach Heather Wood said. "She batted .371. There's not a lot of outfielders that can bat close to .400."

For the second year in a row, Richards was named to the second team after collecting a 12-2 record, including three shutouts, with an ERA of 1.46 in 96 innings. The senior also collected 191 strikeouts this fall, giving her 403 in the past two seasons. She allowed only 37 hits and 61 walks while limiting opposing hitters to a batting average of .115.

Batting .363, Richards was second for the Lady Eagles in hits (33), third in runs (18) and third in RBIs (19). She also had a team-high 11 doubles.

"She had great stats for us this year for pitching and offense. She's done a lot for our softball program the last four years," Wood said. "She's been a huge part of our success the past few years. She always stands out when she's on the mound."

Petree, a junior second baseman, hit .398 for the Lady Eagles and drove in a team-high 26 runs.

Manny Fils can be reached at manny.fils@newtoncitizen.com.

SideBar: All-State softball

Gasports.com Class AAAA All-State softball team:

First Team

Kari Barnes, Alexander

Lauren Odom, Alexander

Jessica Solomon, Alexander

Abbey Meixel, Cherokee

Brianna Chambers, Eastside

Marie Fogle, Effingham County

Kassie Bailey, Greenbrier

Elizabeth Gaston, Greenbrier

Ashlyn Masters, Greenbrier

Kaycee Crow, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe

Jessica Penney, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe

Sam Posey, Lee County

Samantha Cage, Loganville

Lori Spingola, Marist

Kelsey Floyd, Northgate

Chelsea Sparks, Northgate

Ashleigh George, Rockdale

Second Team

Hilary Cox, Alexander

Sara Sikes, Chapel Hill

Natalie Rhodes, Cherokee

Brandi Richards, Eastside

Kaila Hunt, Greenbrier

Jessica Womble, Loganville

Nicole Fox, McIntosh

Morgan Kidd, McIntosh

Sarah Purvis, Northside Warner Robins

Jeni Martin, Ringgold

Kelsey Francen, Sequoyah

Pepper Gay, St. Pius

Lauren Williamson, Whitewater

Katherine Martin, Woodward Academy

Honorable Mention

Bianca Durant, Chapel Hill

Sharon Swason, Cherokee

Kelsea Martin, Dacula

Brittani Stanga, Dutchtown

Sierra Petree, Eastside

Laura Brown, Evans

Danette Irvin, Habersham Central

Jennifer Friar, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe

Brittny Dennison, Lee County

Hayley Knight, Lee County

Alix Cooper, Loganville

Stephanie Sewell, Northwest Whitfield

Caty Sparks, Ringgold

Tess Echols, Whitewater

Woody McKenzie, Whitewater

Kelsey Baker, Woodland