From staff reports

sports@joplinglobe.com

Alexandra Peters, who struck out 342 batters last season at Crowder College, is among the four softball signees announced Wednesday by Missouri Southern coach Bill Gray.

The Lions also signed infielder Jessica Brooks from Olathe (Kan.) East High School, first baseman Dawn Grass from St. Louis and catcher Ashley Harris from Carthage. All four will play for the Lions in the spring of 2010.

Peters, a 5-foot-10 right-hander, led all junior college pitchers with her 342 strikeouts in 227 innings last season. She posted a 32-5 record with a 1.38 earned run average in while earning first team all-region honors.

She was voted conference player of the year twice at Adair (Okla.) High School, finishing her career with a 0.045 earned run average, 10 no-hitters, 41 shutouts and 623 strikeouts.

“Alex is going to further solidify our pitching staff,” Gray said in a press release. “She has vast experience at Crowder, and having seen her in the fall, she has a talent that will definitely help us within the MIAA and the region.”

Brooks played third base and second base at Olathe East, where she was named all-conference and former league freshman of the year.

“Jess is a hard-nosed player who has played for one of the better coaches (Jeff Hulse) in the Kansas City area,” Gray said. “She knows how to play the game and plays multiple positions, which will allow us to utilize her versatility.”

Grass, a 5-11 first baseman, batted .356 last season at Parkway South High School in St. Louis with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 23 runs batted in. She earned first team all-conference honors four years.

“Dawn’s bat as well as her defense will help improve our infield and will boost our offensive output,” Gray said. “She’s skilled and has a lot of power and will definitely be a help right away.”

Harris earned all-conference honors last season for coach Gordon Godfrey at Carthage.

“Ashley gives us depth behind the plate and at other positions,” Gray said. “She improves our team speed and is a good local product who will make the team better.

“For my first recruiting class at Southern, this is a big step forward,” Gray said. “We solidified our pitching, we replaced a big stick and solidified some defense for the future. We added players who are going to make an impact as soon as they step on campus.”