Hanna, Stueck, Merritt, Purcell picked for HighSchoolOT All-State team

LUMBERTON — Lumberton softball players Alona Hanna, Tiara Stueck and Aniya Merritt and St. Pauls’ Angel Purcell each earned All-State honors from HighSchoolOT when the publication released its selections Tuesday.

Hanna earned a second-team selection, while Stueck, Merritt and Purcell were named to the third-team.

Stueck and Merritt were selected to HighSchoolOT’s All-State team for the second time, while Hanna and Purcell earned the recognition for the first time.

Hanna hit .538 in her senior season with the Pirates, with five home runs, 17 doubles, two triples, 33 RBIs, 39 runs and 23 stolen bases, compiling a 1.591 OPS. She also had six assists as the Pirates’ center fielder. She was also named Robeson County Player of the Year in softball, and Robeson County All-Around Athlete of the Year, by The Robesonian, and is signed to play softball at UNC Pembroke.

Stueck, a senior catcher, hit .410 with nine home runs, nine doubles, one triple, 47 RBIs, 13 runs and a 1.320 OPS. Stueck will join Hanna in the UNCP softball program.

Merritt, a senior outfielder, hit .494 with three doubles and two triples, 10 RBIs, 33 runs and a 1.112 OPS. She stole 38 bases, breaking her own single-season program record from the year before, was the Robeson County Slugfest MVP and was named District Player of the Year by the North Carolina Softball Coaches Association. She is signed to play collegiately at North Carolina A&T.

Hanna, Stueck and Merritt were part of a senior class that helped lead Lumberton to a 24-5 season, setting a program wins record that broke last year’s record mark of 23; the team won the United-8 Conference championship and the Robeson County Slugfest before reaching the third round of the 4A state playoffs for the first time.

Purcell, a sophomore third baseman at St. Pauls, hit .600 with 13 home runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 45 RBIs, 43 runs and 23 stolen bases, adding up to a 2.016 OPS.

She was key in the Bulldogs’ best season in recent memory, winning 16 games and finishing second in the Southeastern Athletic Conference.