Lady Lions Earn Top Honors at USCAA National Tournament Banquet

Sam Varela and Madison Clark named 1st Team All-Americans in the USCAA.
Sam Varela and Madison Clark named 1st Team All-Americans in the USCAA.
May 13, 2019

DuBois, Pa. - Senior Samantha Varela (Hazleton, Pa.) and freshman Madison Clark (Emmaus, Pa.) were named 1st team All-Americans in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association on Sunday afternoon at the annual spring awards banquet leading up to the national tournament. Varela and Clark headlined a Hazleton squad that went 21-16 on the season and finished number seven in the USCAA coaches poll rankings. 

#23 Samantha Varela - 1st Team All-American (Pitcher, DP)

The Hazleton native was downright dominant at the plate in 2019. Varela led the USCAA in home runs and runs driven in, coming into the national tournament with 13 bombs and 52 RBI on the season. She ranked 2nd nationally with 25 walks and 102 total bases, while her .872 slugging percentage is the fourth highest in the country. Capable of playing nearly anywhere on the field, Varela racked up a team high 10 wins and 65 k's with a 3.74 ERA from the circle for Hazleton. When she wasn't pitching, the senior platooned in the Hazleton outfield and infield while serving as the primary designated hitter for the Lady Lions. Regardless of position, Varela's impressive numbers at the plate have made the Lady Lions a team to watch in 2019. 

#8 Madison Clark 1st Team All--American (Pitcher, 3B)

The freshman from the Allentown, Pa. area has stood out as one of the nation's best players in all aspects of the game. Clark struck out 103 hitters in her first season as a Lady Lion, the fifth highest total in the USCAA while her 8.17 strikeouts per game are the second best ratio in the country. She struck out 10 or more hitters in three of 15 starts this season including back to back outings in the PSUAC where she fanned 13 batters and allowed two or fewer hits in six starts on her way to earning a pair of season ending awards in the conference. Clark was just as successful as the Hazleton third baseman, committing just five errors in 68 total chances. At the plate, the freshman hit .371 in the clean-up spot, driving in 33 runs and scoring 27 times. Clark's four triples in 2019 were the eighth most in the USCAA.