Lana Gonzales has the golden glove.
In a combined effort from Extra Innings Softball and MaxPreps, Pace softball’s Gonzales, who just finished her senior season with the Patriots, was named the Southeast Region Golden Glove winner. A standout behind the plate as a catcher, Gonzales had a perfect fielding percentage during the season with 433 putouts and 16 assists on the year.
Gonzales concludes her high school career with a four-year fielding percentage of .998 with 888 total putouts and 25 assists. She committed just two errors over four years with 84 games played.
It wasn’t just behind the plate where Gonzales, who will play for Division III Huntingdon College next season, stood out for the Patriots.
Gonzales also had a strong year at the plate as a senior, boasting a team-high average of .409 and a team-leading 38 hits with eight doubles. Gonzales also tallied 12 RBIs and two runs on the season.
A four-year player for the Patriots and a starter since she was a sophomore, Gonzales was part of an incredible run for Pace that saw them continue their streak of state Final Four appearances.
The Patriots made their fifth consecutive appearance to the final weekend of the season, and also played in their third straight state championship game.
Gonzales, along with the rest of the senior class – including Grayson Cox and Abby McLean, who were also on the varsity squad as freshmen – helped make it two cycles of classes to have made it to the pinnacle all four years of their careers.
Pace fell just short of repeating as state champions, losing to Doral Academy, 1-0, in the Class 6A title game in Longwood.
“It’s just unreal. The dedication and the hard work that we put in for four years is insane. It’s crazy to think that it’s all over now,” Gonzales said after the championship game. “I’m so thankful that I’ve been with an amazing group of girls all four years.”
Said Pace head coach Lexi Alexander about the senior class: “We had seven seniors that really set the bar high. … The seniors have some big shoes to fill again this year.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pace’s Lana Gonzales wins Southeast Region Golden Glove from MaxPreps, Extra Innings Softball
Reporting by Ben Grieco, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
