May 5, 2009
San Antonio – St. Mary’s University softball player Arlynda Flores wrapped up her magical 2009 season by hitting her 24th homerun of the season at the Heartland Conference Tournament and remains tied for the NCAA Division II lead in homeruns this season.
Flores (Jr., Uvalde) tied the St. Mary’s single-season school record with 24 homeruns this season. Elizabeth Beyer also hit 24 homeruns in a season during the 2005 season. Flores total has her tied for the NCAA Division II lead. Jessika Anastos of Colorado-Colorado Springs and Sandy James of Angelo State University also have 24 homeruns this season. Like Flores, Anastos season is over. However, James and the Rambelles advanced to the NCAA South Central Region Tournament.
Flores is a Heartland Conference Player of the Year and All-American candidate thanks to her all-around strong work on the field. She is hitting .401 with 15 doubles, 24 homeruns, 72 RBI and 56 runs scored at the plate. On the pitcher’s mound she is 14-13 with a 3.51 ERA, 10 complete games, three shutouts and 88 strikeouts in 199.2 innings of work.
Flores had a special season on many levels. She dedicated her accomplishments during the 2009 season to the memory of her grandmother, Francis B. Hernandez, who passed away during the 2008 season. Flores’ grandmother rarely missed a softball game of Flores’ during her career. With her grandmother watching over her, Flores went from six homeruns last season to 24 this year. Flores, an outstanding student-athlete, is also a candidate for Academic All-American, producing a 3.67 GPA as a double major in Mathematics and exercise and sports science.
She earned All-Heartland Conference Tournament honors after hitting .333 with a homerun, three RBI and six runs scored. Flores was often pitched around in the tournament, received five walks in four games. She has been named Heartland Conference Hitter of the Week four times this season.
The Rattlers finished the 2009 season with a 32-32 overall record and were second in the Heartland Conference standings. Flores is among six starters who will return for the 2010 season.