Hill, Heron Are Santa Rosa Academy Athletes of Month

Softball standout Kelci Hill and baseball standout Matthew Heron have been named Menifee 24/7 Athletes of the Month from Santa Rosa Academy, sponsored by Photos DLite photography studio.

Hill was one of the star players for the Rangers softball team, which compiled a 20-4-1 record and advanced all the way to the third round of the CIF playoffs before losing a 1-0 decision.

The softball team's performance was one of the highlights of the Santa Rosa sports year. The Rangers won the South Valley League championship and dominated the action for most of the year.

Hill, just a freshman, batted .700 with 8 home runs and 38 RBIs, establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. She was also the team's pitcher, compiling an 18-2 record and 1.59 ERA.

Heron, a senior infielder and pitcher, played a key role for the Rangers. Although the team didn't make the playoffs, Heron said he feels a sense of accomplishment about the improvement the team made for a relatively young program.

"This year was an adequate season for the baseball team," Heron said. "We finished in fourth place in the South Valley League, yet I feel like we could have done better. Our record for league was 3-7; however, the team finished the year with an overall record of 12-9, which is an improvement over last year."

Heron, who batted in the leadoff position, hit .443 with 15 RBIs and 14 stolen bases this season. His batting average led the team and he was in the top five in the league in both batting average and stolen bases.

This is the final Athlete of the Month announcement for this school year. Congratulations to all those who were honored.