KARNS CITY — Marra Patton’s numbers justify the honor. She was surprised nonetheless.

Karns City’s senior pitcher-slugger was recently named Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference MVP for the 2022 softball season.

“Surprised? I would say very surprised,” Patton said of winning the award. “If someone would have told me back in 8-under softball that I’d be named KSAC MVP my senior year in high school, I would have just laughed.”

But her statistics don’t lie.

Patton was third on the Gremlins with a .433 batting average this season, collecting 26 hits in 60 at bats. She led the team with five home runs and had four doubles as well, driving home 19 runs.

In the pitcher’s circle, Patton was 7-3 with a 2.86 earned run average. She struck out 70 and walked 21 in 83.1 innings pitched. Ally Walker was second on the team with 29.1 innings pitched.

“We had three girls — Marra, Ally and Megan (Whitmire) — split up the pitching last year,” KC coach Mike Stitt said. “Marra really took a step forward this year and wanted the ball. She became our No. 1 at that position.”

Senior teammates Ashley Fox (.477) and Rossi McMillen (.441) had higher batting averages than Patton, but Stitt said the latter’s excellence in the circle combined with her hitting prowess made her his choice for nomination.

The KSAC MVP is decided by a vote of the league’s coaches following their nomination of players to be considered for the award. A coach is not permitted to vote for his own player.

“I could have nominated a number of our players for that honor, but then they’d be competing against each other and would take votes away from each other,” Stitt said. “Marra deserves this. I was hoping the other coaches would agree and they did.

“I wasn’t shocked at all when she won MVP. She held the No. 1 team in WPIAL Class 5A (Armstrong) to one run. That’s saying something right there.”

Patton struck out 56 and walked only three as a junior in 2021.

“I thought I pitched better last year, but my hitting was better this year,” she said. “I worked hard on my hitting during summer ball last season. I felt more comfortable at the plate.”

Patton is playing summer softball with the Pittsburgh Power now. Sh’s played for the Armstrong Fire and Armstrong Legends in past seasons.

“We get the girls together once a week during the summer and pitch to them,” Stitt said. “Marra was a solid hitter last season, but you could see the improvement. She hit the ball hard this spring.”

While Patton led the team in home runs, she said singles were the key to the Gremlins’ success offensively.

“It wasn’t about the home runs for us,” she said. “Our philosophy was everyone go up there and just hit singles. We kept our offense moving along that way. Singles are what won us games.”

As for her pitching, Patton said “all I want to do is hit my spots. That’s what I concentrate on.

“I beat myself up when I overthrow my pitches. When I throw a pitch into the ground ... I hate that. I did a lot of tat in our last game. I just wasn’t on that day.”

KC’s season ended at 15-4 with a 7-4 loss to WPIAL champion Avonworth in the PIAA 3A quarterfinals.

But Patton was “on” this season.

She was one of seven seniors on the team who have been playing softball together since their 8-under years.

“It’s special when you have a group come through together like that,” Stitt said. “It was fun watching them play because they were so confident and calm about everything.”

Patton and her sister, Sarah, are continuing their academic and softball careers at Butler County Community College. Fox is headed to Gannon, Walker to Mount Aloysius, Zoe King to Penn State-New Kensington. McMillen is headed to Clarion, Whitmire to Thiel, but neither is planning on playing softball.

“All seven of these girls could play in college,” Stitt said. “It’s a special group.”