May 7, 2008 - Mt. Pleasant, S.C. n Months of hard work paid off for two Appalachian State softball players. On Wednesday evening onboard the USS Yorktown, freshman Katie Boyd and junior Brittany Gaston were named to the 2008 All-SoCon Softball team. Boyd earned first-team honors behind the plate while Gaston backed-up her pre-season All-SoCon honor with her second consecutive second-team honor at second base.

The awards, voted on by the SoCon softball coaches recognized 26 student-athletes from the eight teams competing at this year’s SoCon Tournament.

Boyd, a native of Walkertown, N.C., closed out the regular season with a .311 average and nine home runs to set the ASU single-season home run record. The Mountaineer backstop has also set single-season school records in slugging percentage (.806) and on base percentage (.527).

Gaston hails from Roswell, Ga. and is hitting .322 through the end of the regular season. She has 24 RBI along with seven doubles and a triple for the Apps this year. Her three errors this season is the lowest total for any Mountaineer infielder.

The Mountaineers continue in the SoCon Championships on Thursday afternoon against Furman. The elimination game gets underway from the Patriots Point Athletic Complex at Noon.

Player of the Year n Robyne Siliga, Georgia Southern

Pitcher of the Year n Brooke Loudermilk, Chattanooga

Freshman of the Year n Michelle Fuzzard, Chattanooga

Coach of the Year n Frank Reed, Chattanooga