Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player of the Week—May 24, 2022

Each Tuesday this spring we have honored top high school performances nationwide and will do so for a few more weeks. If you’d like to have a player considered, scroll down to see how to fill out a nomination.

Games are for May 15, 2022 through May 21, 2022…

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Extra Inning Softball’s National High School Player of the Week

Karlyn Pickens, the senior right-handed pitcher ranked #5 in the 2022 Extra Elite 100 and a Tennessee signee, wasn’t going to let her final year of high school ball for North Buncombe (Weaverville, N.C.) end quietly.

The All-American known for her great pitching skills—after all, she had entered last Friday’s playoff game with Crest High with seven no-hitters on the season and averaging an amazing 2.4 strikeouts per inning— knew she had to do something dramatic with her bat in the 13^th inning of the scoreless game.

“It was 0-0 most of the game,” Karlyn told Extra Inning Softball earlier today, “and we knew we had to do whatever it took to win.”

Although she has a .564 batting average with eight home runs on the year, the senior did something not too many expected: she laid down a bunt for a single and, after stealing second base, was driven home by freshman teammate Molly Clark for what would be the game’s only run.

“Yea, I think it caught them by surprise, for sure,” the two-way standout chuckled about her laying down a bunt.

But Karlyn’s success with the bat was just part of the story Friday night. She had 29 strikeouts in those one-hit, 13 shutout innings to key the win and that was following a 14-strikeout performance in a win a week ago today.

To sum it up: 43 K’s in 19 innings of work with just one run allowed and, most importantly, it allowed the Black Hawks to move into today’s first game in the best-of-three Class 3A Final 4 in the NCHSAA State playoffs against Central Davidson with the next game being on Thursday. The winner of this week’s series advances to the state championship.

“I had so much adrenaline going,” Karlyn reflected on how she felt in the 13^th inning, “that I could have played several more innings.”

The 29 strikeouts also put her into the NCHSAA record books in a tie for 8^th place with most K’s in a game. For the season, the Vols signee has a 19-1 record, a 0.26 ERA with 312 strikeouts against 27 walks in 133 innings and has recorded 15 shutouts, eight no-hitters and three perfect games.

But if North Buncombe can take the Class 3A Regionals and then win its first state softball title ever, Karlyn—who could win her second straight Gatorade State Player of the Year award in the next few weeks— may not remember the season coming down to her pitching prowess, but to one key offensive series… a bunt single, a stolen base and the eventual game-winning run crossing the plate.

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Runner-Up National Players of the Week

* Savannah Czornomor, a 2024 grad who wears # 24 and plays shortstop for the Bulldogs of Passaic County Tech in Wayne, New Jersey, gets the Tough Player of the Week Award after hitting two home runs in the first round of state playoff games last Tuesday following a culinary class accident earlier in the day where she sliced the top of her finger and needed stitches.

Savannah, who earned 1^st Team All-County honors this year, played the game with the injury bandaged and still managed to hit round-trippers in the first and six innings before smashing a three-run homer on Thursday in the second round of State Playoffs to help her Bulldogs advance.

She also played shortstop in the pair of wins and had 13 putouts. The sophomore currently leads her team in most offensive categories including five home runs, 24 runs scored, 27 RBIs and 10 walks.

* Sensational junior pitcher Aissa Silva of Elk Grove (Calif.) High continues to make a strong case for All-American honors as the lefty led her two to a par of playoff wins.

In the first victory, Aissa pitched a seven-inning not hitter with 16 K’s and was just a walk away from a perfect game. In the second contest, she threw a complete game shutout with 12 more strikeouts to give her 311 on the season in 161.1 innings.

Aissa also batted .500 for the week to help her team move forward in the playoffs.

* Daigle Wilson, a freshman shortstop and leadoff batter at Orange Beach (Alabama) High as well as a Top 30 ranked player in the 2025 Extra Elite 100, has been part of a magical beginning for her newly-formed school and its varsity softball program.

In only its second year of existence, the softball team repeated as Class 2A State champs on Saturday and Daigle had a lot to do with the second title.

In the semi-final game on Friday, with the score tied 1-1 in the top of the 7th with two outs, she hit a line drive single which scored the winning run to send her team to the championship game.

On Saturday, in the finale, again with the score tied 1-1—this time, in the bottom of the 7th with one out, Daigle hit another single scoring the winning run to give Orange Beach back to back state titles.

In the four games played at State on Friday and Saturday, the freshman also stole three bases giving her a total of 62 stolen bases for the year and ranking her in the Top 5 (behind several seniors) for stolen bases in Alabama.

Daigle also hit well in the State Playoffs with a .400 batting average, a .533 on-base percentage and was selected to the All-Tournament team.

Playing for Coach Shane Alexander, she finished her season with a .475 batting average, a .573 on-base percentage, 59 runs scored and four home runs.

* Finley Caringer, 2023 outfielder/utility at Skyline High in Sammamish, Wash., used her bat to help her team clench the Class 4A District Championship across a competitive King County field of teams.

In a tight playoff game facing Redmond High, Finley hit a clutch three run homer to centerfield in top of the third inning to advance her team to the semi-finals. Then, facing the #1 seed in the state, the junior hit a pair of doubles to clench the 3-2 win.

Finally, in Skyline’s championship win, Finley again sparked the offense with a pair of singles to give her a .500 batting average in 29 plate appearances across seven playoff games so far. She’s hit two home runs and knocked in nine during the span.

*** Scroll down to read about more outstanding performances across the nation in high school softball last week!

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Nomination Process

Each week during the spring and summer high school seasons, Extra Inning Softball honors a National High School Player of the Week.

Honoree are announced every Tuesday; cutoff for submitting the nominations is each Monday at noon EST/9 am PST.

We’re looking for standouts who excelled in the circle, at the plate or in the field so be sure to nominate your favorite performance(s) by submitting the following:

• Player Name
• Grad Year (example: Class of 2022 or Senior)
• Position(s)
• High school team name with city/state
• Stats for the week (be as detailed as possible!)
• Up-to-date season stats if possible
• Recruiting information if applicable
• Any interesting background on the player
• Action and/or head shots
• If possible, contact info if we’d like more info or quotes

Email info and photos (1-4 as available) by the cutoff of Monday at noon EST/9 am PST to: [email protected].

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Extra Inning Softball National High School Players of the Week (Historically)

2022

• May 17: P Keagan Rothrock (Roncalli, Indianapolis, Indiana)
• May 10: SS Teagan Thrunk (Point Pleasant Boro, Point Pleasant, New Jersey)
• May 3: SS Abby Hornberger (Regina, Warren, Michigan)
• Apr. 26: OF Cassidy McLellan (Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Florida)
• Apr. 19: P/UT Madison Knight (Patterson Mill, Bel Air, Maryland)
• Apr. 12: OF Chelsea Mack (Brecksville, Ohio)
• Apr. 5: P/IF Madison Inscoe (Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk, Virginia)
• Mar. 29: P Rose Malen (Marin Catholic, Kentfield, Calif.)
• Mar 22: P Katie Kutz (Bishop O’Connell, Arlington, Virginia)
• Mar. 15: IF Tanya Windle (Cactus, Glendale, Arizona)
• Mar. 8: P Jayden Nishi (South, Torrance, California)
• Mar. 1: P Marissa McCann (Willow Canyon, Surprise, Arizona)
• Feb. 22: 1B Sydney Lewis (Prosper, Texas)

2021

• June 15: P Eden Bingham (Rustburg, Virginia)
• June 8: P Lauren Derkowski (York, Elmhurst, Illinois)
• June 1: SS Shayne Immke (St. Joseph-Ogden, St. Joseph, Illinois)
• May 25: OF Cassidy McLellan (Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Florida)
• May 18: IF Abby Ota (Joel Barlow (Redding, Connecticut)
• May 11: IF Kali Heivilin (Three Rivers, Michigan)
• May 4: P Maya Johnson (St. Joseph Academy, Cleveland, Ohio)
• Apr. 27: P/UT Karlyn Pickens (North Buncombe, Weaverville, North Carolina)
• Apr. 20: P/IF Madison Inscoe (Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk, Virginia)
• Apr. 13: P Keagan Rothrock (Roncalli, Indianapolis, Indiana)
• Apr. 6: C Jayla Castro (Rocklin, California)
• Mar. 30: SS Brooke Blankenship (River Ridge, New Port Richey, Florida)
• Mar. 23: SS Rylee Cloud (Fairview, Grant, Louisiana)
• Mar. 16: IF Jenna Madison (Curry, Jasper, Alabama)
• Mar. 9: P/IF Annabelle Widra (Spain Park, Hoover, Alabama)
• Mar. 2: C/3B Elizabeth Moffitt (Prosper, Texas)

2020

• Season cancelled in March due to COVID-19 pandemic
• Mar. 17: P Kenzi Lyall (Alleghany, Sparta, North Carolina)
• Mar. 10: C Maci Bergeron (Notre Dame, Crowley, Louisiana)
• Mar. 3: IF Jayda Coleman (The Colony, Texas)
• Feb. 26: IF/P Micaela Wark (Reedy, Frisco, Texas)

2019

• Jun. 10: P/1B Sydney Supple (North, Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
• May 27: P Aynslie Furbush (Winter Springs, Florida)
• May 20: SS Bailey Dowling (St. Joseph-Ogden, St. Joseph, Illinois)
• May 13: P Britton Rogers (Cypress Ranch, Cypress, Texas)
• May 6: C Neely Peterson (Cypress Creek Middle, Wesley Chapel, Florida)
• Apr. 29: OF/IF/P Angela Zedak (Marist, Chicago, Illinois)
• Apr. 22: SS Kali Heivilin (Three Rivers, Michigan)
• Apr. 15: 3B Trinity Cannon (Forney, Texas)
• Apr. 8: P/1B Sydney Supple (North, Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
• Apr. 1: OF Leea Hanks (Eustis, Florida)
• Mar. 25: P/IF Madison Inscoe (Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, Suffolk, Virginia)
• Mar. 18: 1B/OF Avery Goelz (Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Florida)
• Mar. 11: OF/2B Tanya Windle (Cactus, Glendale, Arizona)
• Mar. 4: SS Hallie Wacaser (Bentonville West, Centerton, Arkansas)
• Feb. 25: P Stevie Hansen (Norco, California)

2018

• May 27: P Lexi Kilfoyl (Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes, Florida)
• May 20: P Ashley Rogers (Meigs County, Decatur, Tennessee)
• May 13 (tie): P Sydney Supple (Oshkosh North, Oshkosh, Wisconsin)
• May 13 (tie): OF Lexi Voss (Marist, Chicago, Illinois)
• May 6: P Danielle Williams (Amador Valley, Pleasanton, California)
• April 29: P Montana Fouts (East Carter, Grayson, Kentucky)
• April 22: IF Kasey Simpson (Keller, Texas)
• April 15: SS Jayda Coleman (The Colony, Texas)
• April 8: P Megan Faraimo (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego, California)
• April 1: C Macy Simmons (Hamilton, Chandler, Arizona)
• March 25: C Paige Pfent (Springstead, Spring Hill, Florida)
• March 18: SS/OF Deja Westbrook (Arcadia, California)
• March 11: P Megan Faraimo (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego, California)