CANTON, Ohio - The Malone University softball team and Head Coach Jeff Hite have announced several signees for the upcoming 2027 season.
 
Joci Cummings is an incoming freshman from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and Riverside High School. The right-handed pitcher held a 2.70 ERA and was named to the Beaver County Sports Network First Team. She was team MVP for the Lady Panthers and was selected as AIR Athlete of the Month. Cummings received the Mitsubishi Student Excellence Award, Michael Hornick Memorial Scholarship and represented the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame.
 
Paige Gamby comes to Malone as a catcher from Liberty Center, Ohio and Tinora High School. Gamby is a two-time Green Meadows Conference First Team selection, two-time All-District First Team and two-time Second Team All-State. She had a .500 career batting average for the Rams.
 
Ryleigh Hall joins the Pioneers as a transfer from Flagler College and previously graduated from GlenOak High School. Hall started in 37 of 40 games played and had 25 hits, 17 RBIs and 13 runs scored. She owns the GlenOak record for most career homeruns and was a four-time First Team All-Federal League honoree and as a senior, Hall was a First Team All-State selection. She intends to pursue nursing at Malone.
 
Lauran Krieg is from Cortland, Ohio and graduated Maplewood High School. She helped propel the Rockets to the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division VII State Championship Game and was Honorable Mention All-Conference in the Northeastern Athletic Conference (NAC). She batted .253 with 11 RBIs in her senior season and received the team's Coach's Award.
 
Raegan Krieg attended Maplewood High School as well and was apart of the OHSAA Division VII State Championship Runners-Up. She was First Team All-Conference and First Team Northeast District, as well as the Defensive Player of the Year for the team. She batted .384 with 27 RBIs in 2026 and crossed 100 career hits in her senior year.
 
Hannah McAllister is an incoming freshman from Delaware, Ohio and an alum of Rutherford B. Hayes High School. The four-year varsity letterwinner was named All-Ohio Honorable Mention, First Team All-District, as well as First Team All-Conference and Player of the Year in the Ohio Cardinal Conference (OCC). McAllister won the Catalyst for a Positive Change Award, graduated Summa Cum Laude, earned an honors diploma, served as President of National Honor Society and was a leader of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
 
Sophia Paonessa is a graduate of Tallmadge High School and was chosen as First Team All-Suburban League in the American side of the conference. She led the American in homeruns and was chosen as Athlete of the Week by the Akron Beacon Journal on April 26. Paonessa is a three-year varsity letterwinner and four-time scholar athlete for the Blue Devils.
 
Mallory Sterba joins Malone softball from Ravenna High School where she was a two-time First Team All-Conference recipient (2024 and 2026) and one-time Second Team All-Conference in 2025. She is a four-year letterwinner in both softball and tennis and won the Golden Glove in her junior and senior seasons. In the classroom, she graduated in the top-ten in her class and intends to major in middle childhood education at Malone.
 
Makena Thiel joins the Pioneers after a successful high school career at Archbold High School. Thiel helped lead the Blue Streaks to a Regional Semifinal appearance in 2026. She was named First Team All-Northwest Ohio Athletic League (NWOAL), First Team All-District and Second Team All-Ohio in Division V. Thiel was chosen as the team's offensive MVP, most valuable teammate and Academic All-Ohio.