By DREW GRANTHUM/ Sports Editor

One of the marks of great players is the ability to find ways to win.

Such is the case with the 2014 Shelby County Reporter Baseball and Softball Players of the Year. The Spain Park duo of Jon Sumner and M.K. Bonamy seemed to always find a way to give their team the necessary advantage be it at the plate or in the field.

For Bonamy, her 19 home runs helped guide the Jags to a runner-up finish in the AHSAA Class 6A, Area 8 tournament, pushing area champs Pelham to the maximum three games before falling in the final game.

Bonamy also was a driving force in getting Spain Park to the state championship tournament, advancing past in-city rival Hoover before falling to Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa. Despite falling to the Patriots, Bonamy left her mark, blasting a solo home run off the eventual state runners-up.

Bonamy, a junior, has verbally committed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to prowess at the plate, she also spends time pitching as well as playing third base for the Jags.

Sumner proved to be a spark plug for the Jaguar baseball team’s offense, especially when it mattered most. With his team deadlocked with Sparkman in the opening game of the AHSAA Class 6A State Championship series, Sumner drilled a walk off single to give Spain Park the win and a 1-0 lead in the series.

After the Jags fell to the Senators in game two to knot up the series, Spain Park once again found itself tied with Sparkman late in the game — and once again Sumner came through.

A triple to right brought in three runs to give Spain Park the lead, and ultimately the win. The senior finished the championship series going 2-for-9 with five RBIs in the best of three series, netting the AHSAA Class 6A State Championship Most Valuable Player award for his efforts.

It is this combination of great statistics, recommendations not only from their own coaches, but other coaches from around the county and the ability to provide for their team when needed that led to their being named to the position.

 

2014 All-County Baseball Team

Player of the Year: Jon Sumner

C: Hunter Stovall, Pelham

IF: Matt Berler, Spain Park

IF: Davis Cox, Thompson

IF: Ethan Simmons, Briarwood

IF: Casey Ballenger, Chelsea

OF: Drew Avans, Thompson

OF: Sam Finnerty, Pelham

OF: Austin Haight, Spain Park

UT: Chase Hamrick, Montevallo

UT: Josh Letson, Evangel

P: Mason Duke, Spain Park

P: Jack Pierce, Pelham

P: Jake Walters, Thompson

P: Jonathan Pintaro, Montevallo

HONORABLE MENTION

Vincent: Daniel Hawkins, Zack Baucom

Montevallo: Hunter Nabors, Brady Hamer

Calera: B.J. Barker, Dylan Reddin, Tyler Harrell, Colby Mize

Briarwood: Jake Bracewell

Shelby County: Jonathon Palmer

Chelsea: Hunter Howard, Landon Wylie

Oak Mountain: Logan Gibbs, Connor O’Brien

Thompson: Mel Harwell

Pelham: Alex Urban, Alex Weeks, Tyler Payne

Spain Park: Josh Rich, Tristan Widra

Coosa Valley: Zach Spratlin, Niko Teofilo, Michael Mims, Colton Pate

Kingwood: Dillon Calhoun

Cornerstone: Cole Ray, Tim Warren

Hope: Bill Etheredge, Matthew Hyde, Chandler Donegan

Evangel: Peter Lau, Stephen Cullen, Andrew Thompson

SOFTBALL ALL-COUNTY TEAM

Player of the Year: M.K. Bonamy

C: Madi Walker, Pelham

IF: Mary Katherine Tedder, Spain Park

IF: Emily Spain, Pelham

IF: Morgan Reed, Briarwood

IF: Kristian Foster, Pelham

OF: Maygen Boaz-Jeffords, Chelsea

OF: Reagin Curtis, Pelham

OF: Skyler Laird, Calera

UT: Ashlee Sanders, Oak Mountain

UT: Makalla Odom, Vincent

P: Kaitlyn Paschall, Shelby County

P: Samantha Kusiak, Pelham

P: Haley Crumpton, Thompson

P: Destiny Upton, Montevallo

HONORABLE MENTION

Vincent: Jameia White, Destanie Howard

Calera: Charley Clark, Shelby Clark, Shleby Wright

Briarwood: Rachel Walz, A.V. Seabury

Chelsea: Joslyn Johnston, McKenzie Bryant, Alexis Eisenberg

Oak Mountain: Carmyn Greenwood

Thompson: Sraha Beth Holdbrooks

Pelham: Caitlyn Sapp, Becky Fox,

Spain Park: Marisa Osiga, Julianna Cross, Julie Knight

Hope: Sam Rowley, Sarah Birdsong, Lindy Walker, Amanda Rowley

Evangel: Jessyca Ray, Jordan Swindle, Emily Murray