RICHARDSON, Texas - Kennedy Carruth of the Belhaven Softball team was named the American Southwest Conference Female Athlete of the Year for the 2021-22 season. 

Carruth, a pitcher from St. Francisville, La., was the Blazers top pitcher in the circle this season, finishing 2022 with a 26-5 record in 33 appearances with 186.0 innings pitched. She posted a 1.32 ERA, limited opponents to a .184 batting average and struck out 230, the new single-season ASC strikeout record. Carruth was named ASC Pitcher of the Year, ASC All-Conference First Team, NFCA All-Region X First Team and NFCA Second Team All-America. She set the tone for a team that won the ASC regular season, ASC Championship Tournament, the NCAA Division III Softball Regional Championship and was the Super Regional Runner-Up. The Blazers finished 2022 ranked No. 7 in the final NFCA top 25 poll.
 
"The things that Kennedy has accomplished are remarkable," said Head Softball Coach Kevin Griffin. "While playing the most important position on the field, she has set herself apart from all of the other players in our conference. I'm proud of her growth, both as a player and as an individual, over the past two years. I look forward to writing her name on the lineup card for another year or two."

The ASC Athlete of the Year award recognizes a male and a female student-athlete whose athletic accomplishments best contributed to their sport, their institution's overall athletic program and to the conference during the past athletic year and is presented for the 22nd time in 2021-22. Selection is made from campus nominees with the recipients chosen by vote of the conference sports information directors.

Carruth played two seasons at Coastal Alabama-South from 2018-20.