VALDOSTA — For the past three years, Sarah Santana has terrorized Region 1-AAAAA pitching, while having one of the best careers in Lowndes High softball history.

Santana was rewarded for a great 2008 season when she was voted the Region 1-AAAAA Player of the Year.

Santana, Lowndes’ star catcher, batted .347 this season with a region-leading eight home runs and 28 runs batted in. Her .634 slugging percentage easily led the region. She ranked third in the region in RBIs, third in runs scored (28), fourth in on-base percentage (.489) and tied for fifth in hits (35). She also led the region in walks, because opposing pitchers generally pitched her very carefully. She broke the school record for home runs in a season.

She also posted a .993 fielding percentage behind the plate and did her part to help a young Lowndes pitching staff mature quickly. She has signed a scholarship to play for Mercer next season.

Lowndes also had the region’s Coach of the Year. Jared Dickey, in his seventh season coaching the Vikettes, led the team to a 30-8-1 record this season. The team went undefeated in region play in the regular season. Lowndes later made it to the state elite eight in Columbus for the fifth time in Dickey’s seven seasons.

In addition to having both the Player of the Year and the Coach of the Year, Lowndes was heavily represented on the All-Region team this year. Six Vikettes were named to the first team.

Senior third baseman Morgan Harris earned All-Region honors for the fourth consecutive season. Harris batted .333 with six home runs and 31 runs batted in. Lowndes’ cleanup hitter ranked second in RBIs and slugging percentage (.586) and third in home runs. She ranked fourth in hits (37), sixth in runs (22), had a .400 on-base percentage and a .962 fielding percentage. She also went 6-0 with a 0.88 ERA and struck out 32 batters in 40 innings as the team’s relief ace.

Lowndes senior shortstop Dionne Bishop was also named All-Region. Bishop batted .291 with four home runs, 15 RBIs and six doubles. She tied Harris for sixth in runs (22) and had a .418 slugging percentage. The three-year starter also anchored the LHS defense at shortstop.

Sadee Scarborough has been Lowndes’ center fielder and leadoff hitter for three years. Scarborough led the region in stolen bases with 16 (five more than anyone else) and was fifth in runs scored with 23. She had a .283 batting average, 34 hits, two triples (third in the region) and a .353 on-base percentage, and covered a lot of ground in center field. Those efforts earned her a spot on the All-Region team.

Ashley Chapman was the only freshman on Lowndes’ varsity this year, and she played a big part in the Vikettes success. Chapman became Lowndes’ ace, and went 15-5 with a 1.40 ERA. Her 15 wins ranked second in the region and her 142 strikeouts was third-best. Those numbers made the right-hander the first Lowndes freshman to make the All-Region team since Harris in 2005.

Sophomore outfielder Kaylin McCoy emerged as one of Lowndes’ top hitters this season. She batted .337 (second on the team, behind Santana), hit two home runs, eight doubles, drove in 21 runs and scored 18 runs. She had a .387 on-base percentage and a .480 slugging percentage. She also won seven games as a pitcher, including the championship game in the Vikette Invitational.

Valdosta High had its best season since 2002, winning 16 games. The Lady Wildcats had two players make All-Region and a third receive honorable mention.

Valdosta senior third baseman Courtney Merritt led the region with a .430 batting average. She had seven doubles, one home run and 15 RBIs, and scored 16 runs. She also had a .458 on-base percentage (fifth in the region) and a .582 slugging percentage (third in the region). She has already signed with Valdosta State.

Lady Wildcats senior shortstop Kristin Gill batted .309 with a team-best three home runs. She also had eight doubles, drove in 10 runs, scored 20 runs, had a .337 on-base percentage and a .505 slugging percentage. Her .958 fielding percentage led all 1-AAAAA shortstops.

Valdosta pitcher Aysia Reed was an honorable mention selection. She went 11-12 with a 1.17 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 119 innings pitched. The senior right-hander was fourth in strikeouts. She also batted .293 with 11 RBIs and 12 runs scored, had an on-base percentage of .383 and a slugging percentage of .378.

The other two All-Region pitchers hail from the International City. Houston County’s Jessica Burroughs was a dominant pitcher, going 17-3 with a 0.94 ERA. She struck out 179 batters in 126 innings, and led the region in wins. Meanwhile, Northside’s Sarah Purvis had the region’s best ERA, a minuscule 0.72. Purvis struck out 252 batters (79 more than anyone else), while only walking 16 in 160 innings. She was only 11-11, but four of those losses came to Lowndes and two came to Houston.

Houston County also placed third baseman Sarah Ling, shortstop Kourtny Thomas and outfielder Katie Kratz on the team. Ling batted .424 with three homers and 26 RBIs, with an amazing .607 on-base percentage and a .478 slugging percentage. Thomas was another .400 hitter, batting .403 with two homers and a region-leading 35 RBIs, as well as a .500 on-base percentage and a .560 slugging percentage. Kratz batted .294 with 13 RBIs, a .395 OBP and four stolen bases.

Warner Robins placed second baseman Katie Farinelli and sisters Kiley and Jensen Barrett on the first team. Farinelli batted .413 with 29 runs, nine stolen bases, a .470 on-base percentage and a .510 slugging percentage. Kiley Barrett, the Lady Demons’ left fielder, batted .361 with one homer, 23 RBIs, 17 runs, had a .406 on-base percentage, a .536 slugging percentage and did not commit an error in the field. Jensen Barrett, a shortstop, batted .333 with one home run, 14 RBIs, 14 runs, seven stolen bases and had identical on-base and slugging percentages of .406.

Tift County’s Rebecca Johnson was the other All-Region catcher, after batting .340 with six home runs and 20 RBIs. Johnson also had a .385 on-base percentage and a .583 slugging percentage.

Colquitt County center fielder Brooke Hood was also All-Region. Hood batted .294 with 14 runs, 35 hits and a .992 fielding percentage.

Santana, Farinelli and Ling were the only unanimous selections. Harris, Chapman, McCoy, Johnson, Thomas and Kiley Barrett were named on 11 of 12 ballots.

Joining Reed as honorable mention selections were Alexis Boyd of Warner Robins, Kelly Redlinger of Tift, Meagan May and Maggie Davidson of Colquitt, Taylor Fountain of Houston, Cady McRight and Becky Studstill of Northside and Kelsie Harris of Coffee.

The All-Region team is voted on by the head coaches from each team and local media that cover those teams.