HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Three Wallace State softball players were recently selected as National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I All-Americans.
Haylee Folds was named a 2nd-team All-American, and Brantly Bonds and Gracie Benton were each 3rd-team selections.
It’s the first time since 2013 the program has had three players earn All-American recognition in one season. Behind the trio, Wallace State softball finished the 2021 season with a 55-6 record, winning the program’s 13th Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Tournament championship and finishing among the top eight teams at the national championship.
Folds, a pitcher from Columbus, Ga., served as Wallace State’s ace throughout. She went 21-2 with a 2.01 ERA, recording 115 strikeouts in 114 2/3 innings. She tossed nine complete games among her 27 starts.
Folds has signed to play with Columbus State (Ga.) next season.
Bonds, who also named the 2021 ACCC Player of the Year, hit .432 with 21 home runs and a conference-best 84 RBIs. The Corner native, who played second base for the Lions, added 18 doubles and 24 steals.
Benton had an impressive freshman campaign, finishing with 20 homers and 79 RBIs. She was second in the league in RBIs behind Bonds. Benton, a Hayden native, was also the 2021 ACCC Tournament MVP and an All-ACCC first-team selection.
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit www.athletics.wallacestate.edu or the athletics Facebook page at www.wallacestate.edu/athleticsfb.
