Trio of Cougars Named to 2024 Softball All-ACCAC & All-Region I Teams
Complete 2024 All-ACCAC & All-Region I Teams
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Three South Mountain Community College softball team members earned spots on the 2024 Softball All-ACCAC and All-Region I Division II Teams, as voted upon by the league's coaches. Freshman outfielder Dionna Leanio earned First Team All-ACCAC honors, while sophomore infielder Iliana Munoz and freshman utility player Taylor Christensen earned Second Team All-ACCAC honors. All three also received a spot on the All-Region I Division II team.
Leanio earned First Team honors after leading the conference with a .521 batting average in the regular season. She appeared in 30 games during the season before injuries cut her year short and posted 41 runs, 50 hits, one double, 10 RBIs, 13 walks, and 23 stolen bases. She had 14 multi-hit games against league opposition, including four-hit games against Pima CC and Scottsdale CC.
Leanio scored multiple runs in nine league games and had a season-high three stolen bases in a contest at Arizona Western. She finished 4 for 4 with four runs, an RBI, and a stolen base in a win over the Fighting Artichokes on Mar. 9. In 24 ACCAC games, Leanio batted .482 with 30 runs, 41 hits, a double, seven RBIs, 10 walks, and 16 stolen bases.
In 39 games, Munoz finished among the league leaders in the ACCAC in batting average (.496), runs (50), hits (66), doubles (13), home runs (16), RBIs (56), on-base percentage (.558), and slugging percentage (.985). In fact, she was first in slugging, second in batting average, OBP, and home runs, and third in RBIs and hits.
Munoz hit three home runs in a game against Pima CC and two in a contest with Eastern Arizona. She had 18 multi-hit games, including five performances with four hits, and 14 multi-RBI games, including three with five or more. She also posted a 15-game hitting streak during the year.
Christensen was a two-way threat for the Cougars, excelling at the plate and in the circle. As a pitcher, Christensen finished 6-5 with two saves, a 3.80 ERA, and 89 strikeouts in 77.1 innings of work in the regular season. She was the ACCAC Division II Week 11 Pitcher of the Week after recording a career-high 16 strikeouts in a win over GateWay CC on Apr. 9. She also posted 12 Ks in a win over SCC and 10 in a win over CGCC. She was one of three ACCAC Division II pitchers with more strikeouts than innings pitched.
At the plate, Christensen batted .404 with 38 runs, 46 hits, 10 doubles, six home runs, 29 RBIs, 21 walks, and three stolen bases in 38 games. She had 15 multi-hit and seven multi-RBI games during the season and boasted a 12-game hitting streak. Christensen, who played first base in the field, sported a .974 fielding percentage in 151 chances.