By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, Ore. -- Senior second baseman Ashley Pender (Reno, NV/North Valleys HS) and junior catcher Alex Shields (Lake Forest, CA/El Toro HS) have been chosen Second Team All-Northwest Conference for the 2016 season in voting by the NWC head coaches. In addition, junior first baseman Mallory Asaro (Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS) has been named Honorable Mention All-NWC.
The NWC head coaches chose a total 36 athletes for the 2016 All-Northwest Conference Softball Team. Fourteen players were named to the First Team, with 13 players on the Second Team and nine athletes earning Honorable Mention.
Second baseman Rachel Roberts of Pacific University was chosen NWC Softball Player of the Year for the second time. She also received the award in 2014. Marissa Reichard from Pacific was selected NWC Softball Pitcher of the Year. Head Coach Cristal Brown of Whitworth University was named NWC Softball Coach of the Year.
Willamette concluded the season with a 14-19 overall record. The Bearcats were 10-18 (7th place) in the NWC. Bearcat pitchers tied for fourth in the NWC with a 2.84 team earned run average.
Second Team All-Northwest Conference
Ashley Pender (Sr., 2B) hit .333 this season with a team-high 30 runs scored. She also led the team with six home runs and 22 RBIs. She blasted eight doubles and a team-high three triples, while topping the offensive chart with a .638 slugging percentage. She was 8 of 10 on stolen bases.
Pender set Willamette career record with 116 RBIs, 167 hits, 260 total bases and 461 at bats. She finished tied for second all-time for the Bearcats with 145 games started and tied for fourth with 146 games played.
"Ashley was the catalyst for everything we did this year," Willamette Head Coach Damian Williams said. "She led with her work ethic and never-quit attitude."
She achieved a .362 career batting average to rank ninth all-time at Willamette. She scored 100 runs to tie for fourth all-time and finished second with 40 doubles. She smacked seven triples (tied for 5th) and 13 home runs (tied for 3rd). She was 25 of 29 on stolen bases.
Pender earned All-NWC recognition all four seasons. She was named First Team All-NWC in 2013, was chosen Second Team All-NWC in 2015 and 2016, and received Honorable Mention in 2014.
Alex Shields (Jr., C) topped the Willamette offensive chart with a .356 batting average and a .438 on-base percentage. She also led the team with 10 doubles. She scored 16 runs and recorded 16 RBIs. She was strong behind the plate on defense, earning 63 putouts, 8 assists and just two errors. She played and started in 31 games.
"I'm so proud of Alex. She has worked so hard to earn this honor," Williams commented.
Through three seasons at WU, she owns a .293 career batting average, with 88 games played and 62 starts. She has scored 25 runs and earned 36 RBis. She has hit 17 doubles in her career.
As a freshman in 2014, she batted .283 with two doubles and 14 RBIs. During her freshman season, she smacked five doubles in just 55 at bats.
Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference
Mallory Asaro (Jr., SS) batted .343 this season to rank second on the team. She played in 25 games with 23 starts, and connected for nine doubles and one home run. Her homer tied eventual NWC regular season champion Whitworth University in the seventh inning, before Willamette defeated the Pirates 2-1 in eight innings.
"Playing all season with a torn labrum is what makes this special. She did whatever was asked of her and with a great attitude," Williams said.
Asaro supplied the Bearcats with 13 RBIs during the season. On defense, she led WU with 121 putouts to go along with 12 assists.
In her Willamette career, she has played in 72 games with 65 starts. She has scored 24 runs, earned 26 RBIs and recorded 14 doubles. Including two seasons at shortstop, she has accumulated 192 putouts and 109 assists.
