Productivity at the plate helped Park Rapids' Amy Luther, Carly Helfrich, Heather Tretbar and Danielle Dent earn a spot on this year's Mid-State Con-ference fastpitch softball team.
Those four players combined to hit .396, score 41 runs and drive in 37 runs in 11 conference games as the Panthers tied Wadena-Deer Creek for runner-up honors in the Mid-State standings with an 8-4 record. Staples-Motley won the conference title with a 9-3 mark.
Luther hit .447 (17 for 38) with 12 runs, 15 RBI, three doubles and three stolen bases in 11 conference games. The senior pitcher/ first baseman also went 4-1 with one save in nine ap-pearances. Luther allowed 45 hits and 30 walks while striking out 40 in 43 1/3 innings. She gave up 44 runs, 25 of which were earned, for a 4.04 ERA in conference games to repeat as an all-conference player. Luther had three hits in one game, drove in four runs in one game and scored three times in one game. On the mound, Luther didn't allow an earned run in three appearances.
Tretbar also repeated as an all-conference player after batting .363 (16 for 44) and scoring 15 runs in 11 conference games. The junior shortstop had four RBI, one double and eight stolen bases. Tretbar had three hits in two conference games and scored three runs in two games.
Helfrich started all 11 games in centerfield and hit .333 (14 for 42) with 14 runs, seven RBI, seven doubles and seven stolen bases against Mid-State opponents. Helfrich had three hits in two games and scored three runs once.
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Those three joined Staples-Motley's Rachel Hoemberg, Brittany Miller, Samantha Rosenthal and Katie Zetah; Wadena-Deer Creek's Hannah Askew and Kayla Guck; Pequot Lakes' Kayla Lenz and Olivia Bauman; Crosby-Ironton's Brita Johnson and Betsy Wehseler; Perham's Alyssa Stafki, Kayla Speicher and Brandi Cresep; and Detroit Lakes' Alice Branden on the 17-member all-conference team.
Dent, a sophomore catcher, earned all-conference honorable mention honors after hitting .450 (18 for 40) with two doubles, two triples and 11 RBI. Dent had three hits in three different games.
The other all-conference honorable mention players included Staples-Motley's Hannah Wagner and Abby Edin; Detroit Lakes' Aman-da Adkins and Brittany Larson; and Crosby-Ironton's Kassie Duffney.
The Panthers, who finished 2-10 in the conference standings last season, held a 96-77 edge in runs in 11 games against conference opponents this spring. Park Rapids swept Crosby-Ironton (including a forfeit win) and Perham while splitting games with Pequot Lakes, Wadena-Deer Creek, Staples-Motley and Detroit Lakes.
