Elizabethtown's Caryn Bailey and Warwick's Samantha Derr lead a strong contingent of Lancaster players named to the Pennsylvania Softball Coaches Association All-State team.

Bailey, a rising junior, and Derr, who will enter Kutztown University this fall, were named to the Class AAAA First Team at, respectively, catcher and offensive pitcher.

They are joined by Lampeter-Strasburg infielder Nicole Blantz and Donegal outfielder Laura Gebhart, both rising seniors, named to the Second Team in Class AAA.

Also earning All-State recognition as Honorable Mention are Warwick's Bre Ord, along with Elizabethtown's Katie Dunkelberger, Mariah Keener and Mandi Shearer in Class AAAA; Kelsey Hannold of Donegal in Class AAA; and Columbia's Emily Detz in Class AA.

In a breakout season Bailey hit .472 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs, scored 26 runs and had seven doubles and six triples among her 42 hits. She followed up with two triples and a double in a 6-for-10 performance in the Carpenter Cup softball tournament in June.

Derr capped an outstanding career by going 26-2 with an 0.34 ERA. She walked just seven and struck out 248 batters in 167 innings, and was named as an "Offensive Pitcher" because of her prowess at the plate.

As the Warriors' leadoff batter, Derr hit .458 with 33 runs scored and 16 RBIs. Among her 44 hits were seven doubles, nine triples and three homers. Two of the three First-Team pitchers named ahead of her battled in the Class AAAA State Championship game, where Geena Badolato of Mt. Lebanon bested Fran Carrullo and Central Bucks South.

Blantz, a senior-to-be, played shortstop for the Pioneers, hitting .597 with 23 runs scored and 14 RBIs. Gap-to-gap, Gebhart was the centerfield sentinel for the Indians as they advanced to the Class AAA state quarterfinals. The Tribe senior-to-be batted .408 with 24 runs scored and 27 RBIs.

Also earning consideration as an "Offensive Pitcher," Hannold was 21-5 with a 1.15 ERA. In 176 innings she struck out 210 while walking 62. As the Tribe's cleanup hitter, and insurance behind her classmate Gebhart, she hit .474 with 35 RBIs, five homers, eight doubles and four triples.

Although the majority of Ord's appearances this season were as a designated player, the PSBCA did not name a Utility/Designated player position, but rather filled in those players as infielders or oufielders. Thus Ord, who hit .358 with 28 RBIs in her junior campaign, was named as an infielder.

Also named to the AAAA infield was Keener (.372, 20 runs, 14 RBIs in her sophomore season), while Shearer finished her senior season hitting .424 with 27 runs and 14 RBIs, earning a spot in the outfield. Going 20-5 with a 1.17 ERA with 17 walks and 127 strikeouts in 144 innings in her sophomore year and first varsity season earned Dunkelberger her first All-State nod as a pitcher.

Detz led the Lancaster-Lebanon League in strikeouts with 253 and led the Crimson Tide to a best-ever 14-win season with its first postseason appearance (a 6-2 victory over Tulpehocken in the District Three tournament). In 140 innings the Tide junior went 14-8 with a 1.35 ERA, walking just 17 batters.

Annville-Cleona's Cassie Ernst was also named to the Class AA Honorable Mention as a catcher.

dbyrne@lnpnews.com