OXFORD, Ala. – Valdosta State junior infielder Nicole Pennington and sophomore pitcher Samantha Richards added to their list of postseason accolades as both were named to the Gulf South Conference Softball All-Tournament Team.  
 
Both Pennington and Richards had solid tournaments for the Blazers, who went 2-2 in the tournament at Choccolocco Park.  Pennington hit .333 for the championship in four games on 3 of 9 from the dish with three runs scored, a team-high two home runs and four RBI.  She slugged 1.000 and reached base at a .462 clip with one sacrifice bunt.  
 
The Palm Bay, Fla., native, who was named Gulf South Conference Player of the Year this year, leads the nation in home runs with 23 for the season.  She also leads the nation in home runs per game at a 0.55 clip, while she second nationally in total bases (128), fifth in slugging percentage (1.024), fifth in RBI (56), 18^th in on base percentage (.547) which all lead the GSC.  Pennington is second in the league in batting average at a .432 clip for 56^th nationally, while she is third in the GSC in hits with 54 for 43^rd nationally.  
 
Pennington's 23 dingers are part of a national-leading 95 home runs for the Blazers this season.  The 95 home runs by VSU is second-most in school and third-most in GSC history with the record being held by VSU with 98 round-trippers in 2009 in 65 games and Arkansas-Monticello also had 98 in 2007 in 66 games.  VSU has played 42 games this season thus far this season.  The 2021 edition of the Blazers also lead the nation in home runs per game at a staggering 2.26 clip.  
 
The NCAA Division II record is 1.93 by Colorado Mesa in 2006 with 83 home runs in 43 games.  Pennington's 23 home runs are tied for sixth in GSC history in a season (Stephanie Pinto, UAH, 2005) and third-most in school history behind GSC record-holder Courtney Albritton (27, 2014) and Marti Littlefield (25, 2009).  Pennington has 29 home runs for her career at VSU.
 
Richards, a native of Alpharetta, Ga., went 2-1 with a 0.70 ERA in three starts and three complete games in the conference tournament.  She pitched 20 innings, allowing 15 hits, four runs – two earned, walked none and struck out 24 as teams hit just .195 against her.  
 
For the season, Richards was named GSC Pitcher of the Year and has been outstanding for the Blazers as she is second nationally in games started (27), third nationally in appearances (32) and fourth nationally in complete games (21) all to lead the GSC.  Richards leads the nation in victories with a 23-5 record, is fourth in strikeouts with 215, sixth in strikeout-to-walk ratio at a 10.24 average, 14^th nationally in WHIP (0.83) and is 21^st nationally in ERA at a 1.21 clip and 23^rd in walks allowed per seven innings at a 0.88 clip, which all of the above lead the GSC.
 
Both Pennington and Richards were named to the 2021 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player & Pitcher of the Year Top 30, which was released May 3.  Pennington and Richards were two of three GSC student-athletes named to the list as West Florida's Teala Howard was the other.  Rollins' Ali Shenefield and Ashely Worrell were the only other South Region selections to the top 30.  
 
VSU will host the 2021 NCAA South Region Softball Championship, May 19-22 at Steel's Diamond at Blazer Park in Valdosta.  The Blazers will await their fate in the tournament as the NCAA Division II Selection Show is scheduled for 10 p.m. Sunday, May 16 and will be broadcast on NCAA.com.  
 
Check back with vstateblazers.com later in the week on ticket information for the regional.
 
GSC Softball All-Tournament Team
Bailie Barnes, AUM (Most Outstanding Player)
Allie Miller, AUM
Gia Martin, AUM
Kathryn Fallen, AUM
Avery Barnett, MC
Jordan LaFosse, MC
Nicole Pennington, VSU
Samantha Richards, VSU
Morgan Goree, UWG
Kristyn Nix, UWG