Sometimes mixing youth and experience can bring great results. That is the case with The Robesonian’s All-County Team and postseason awards this year.

A senior-heavy Lumberton team, which won a school-record 24 games and reached the third round of the 4A state playoffs, swept the postseason awards and has five additional All-County selections, with five soon-to-be-graduates among those recognized.

But among the rest of the All-County selections, all but two are underclassmen expected to be back next season.

Perhaps it’s a sign that any of the other four softball programs in Robeson County could be the team leading the way in this very exercise 12 months from now. But for now, here are the 2024 selections.

Player of the Year

Lumberton coach Mackie Register described Alona Hanna as a five-tool player, and her all-around excellence helped her earn Robeson County Player of the Year honors.

Hanna hit .538 with 33 RBIs and set program single-season records with 39 runs and 17 doubles, also hitting five home runs. She was a perfect 23-for-23 on stolen bases and also had six outfield assists.

For more on Hanna’s award-winning season for the Pirates, please see the related story here.

Pitcher of the Year

“Every time she stepped in the circle we had a chance to win.”

Register said this about his ace Halona Sampson — and due in large part to Sampson’s pitching, the Pirates did win 24 of the 29 games they played. Sampson has been named Robeson County Pitcher of the Year for a second time, also winning the award in 2022.

“This year was tough, but it was also kind of relaxing knowing that the team we had, we were good,” Sampson said. “I knew I had backup behind me, people that could make plays. And the energy from our team was really great this year.”

Sampson was 19-5, setting a school record for wins in a season, with a 1.67 ERA, striking out 90 batters in 134 1/3 innings. She pitched nine shutouts and one no-hitter this season.

“She rose to the occasion every time,” Register said. “And you wouldn’t know if we were winning by 10 or winning by one, she had the same demeanor. She went right at hitters and hit spots all year long. She’s a complete pitcher.”

“This year was a big thing for me was making sure I was taking care of my body physically,” Sampson said. “Mentally, we were a lot better, but physically, I had to focus on taking care of my arm and make sure all the stretching, icing, everything, would keep me in good shape so I could remain to pitch this whole year.”

Through a stretch of some of the biggest games of the season — including two conference tournament games and the first two games of the state playoffs — Sampson did not allow an earned run from April 16 to May 16, posting a zero in that column in seven straight games.

She often did so escaping jams with runners on base in key moments throughout games.

“It’s amazing how cool she seems in the circle too,” Register said. “She would get herself in jams, or we would get her in a jam, and it didn’t faze her. She knew she would get out of it, and we were confident she would get out of it too.”

Sampson was 38-15 with a 2.18 ERA over her four years at Lumberton. She’ll now turn her attention to college softball at Lander.

“When she gets up there and starts getting in their program, she’s going to be a bulldog just like she is here,” Register said. “She gets people out, hits spots, changes speeds, so she’s going to be successful there at Lander too.”

Coach of the Year

After a school-record 23-win season in 2023, Lumberton beat its own record and won 24 games this season, winning the United-8 Conference championship and advancing to the third round of the state playoffs for the first time.

After this unprecedented success, Register has been named Robeson County Coach of the Year, winning the award for the second straight season.

“It’s not just me when it comes to being Coach of the Year,” Register said. “My coaching staff, Will Britt, Braylon Jones, LeeAnn Nobles and Tony Chavis, they all play a big part in our program.”

Register coached Lumberton’s six seniors, which includes his daughter Carlee, for many years before they reached the high school level, then helped that group accomplish more than any other class in Pirates history.

“He’s been coaching all of us, the whole senior class, since we were 5, 6 years old,” Hanna said. “I guess sometimes he treats us more like his children and it makes us closer, because we know him on a different level, a personal level, and so we all have a special connection.”

This core “learning how to win” earlier in their high school career, Register said, paid dividends as they became upperclassmen.

“We’re here to win and we’re going to figure out a way to win, whether it’s stealing a base, whether it’s bunting the ball, whether it’s getting good defense or getting the big hit,” Register said. “Somebody would always come through for us, it wasn’t always the same person, and everybody had that winning mentality.”

His players say he’s a tough coach, but in such a way that they know he cares and is invested in their success.

“He’s hard on us; he pushes us to where we need to be,” Sampson said. “He doesn’t just give up on us or not teach us at a certain point, he just keeps pushing all throughout the season.”

All-County Team

#^*Aniya Merritt, Sr., OF, Lumberton — .494 average, 33 runs, 38 stolen bases

^*Tiara Stueck, Sr., C, Lumberton — .410 average, 47 RBIs, nine home runs, 19 extra-base hits

*Alyssa Stone, Sr., SS, Lumberton — .476 average, 29 RBIs, 34 runs, 15 doubles, eight stolen bases

Jaelyn Hammond, So., 3B, Lumberton — .410 average, 15 RBIs, 32 runs, seven doubles, 19 stolen bases

Cameron Honeycutt, Jr., 1B, Lumberton — .385 average, 17 RBIs, 17 runs, three home runs

Yomaris Vasquez, Sr., P/IF, St. Pauls — .403 average, 15 RBIs, 21 runs, two home runs, eight extra-base hits; 14-6 pitching record, 3.11 ERA, 65 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings pitched

*Angel Purcell, So., IF, St. Pauls — .586 average, 45 RBIs, 43 runs, 13 home runs, 25 extra-base hits

^*Hailey Ray, Jr., OF, St. Pauls — .519 average, 17 RBIs, 37 runs, one home run, nine extra-base hits, five triples

*Ke’mya Baldwin, Jr., UT, St. Pauls — .400 average, 17 RBIs, 23 runs, one home run, eight extra-base hits

Aniyah Locklear, So., IF, St. Pauls — .407 average, 16 RBIs, 21 runs, two home runs

Madison Locklear, Jr., C, St. Pauls — .386 average, 20 RBIs, 28 runs, 10 extra-base hits

Kamryn Locklear, Fr., 2B/P, Purnell Swett — .305 average, 12 RBIs, 25 runs, 16 stolen bases; 5-5 pitching record, 38 strikeouts

Jayla Graham, So., SS, Purnell Swett — .400 average, 16 RBIs, 23 runs, eight extra-base hits

Chloe Chavis, So., OF, Purnell Swett — .327 average, 13 RBIs, 19 runs, seven extra-base hits

Tomya Hunt, Sr., IF, Purnell Swett — .259 average, 14 RBIs, 16 runs

Layla Hunt, Fr., P/SS, Fairmont — .450 average, 20 RBIs, 15 runs; 90 strikeouts as pitcher

Kimberleigh Stevens, So., C/3B, Fairmont — .490 average, 22 RBIs

Emily Brooks, So., SS, Red Springs — two home runs, five triples, nine extra-base hits

* — denotes 2023 All-County selection

^ — denotes 2022 All-County selection

# — denotes 2021 All-County selection

Honorable Mentions

Purnell Swett’s Nylah Johnson and Lanna Haggans, Fairmont’s Kensley Newberry and Red Springs’ Telinda Pate earned honorable-mention selections.