The College of Charleston third baseman was the Southern Conference softball player of the year, leaving Appalachian State’s third baseman as a second-team choice after a monster offensive season. Georgia Southern’s third baseman also had a big year.

But Toni Hutchison is the third baseman for the team that won the conference regular-season and tournament championships. She’s the lone senior playing for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

“Individual awards don’t mean much as long as we succeed as a team,” a happy Hutchison said after the Lady Mocs’ 7-2 win Saturday in the tournament final.

“I’m really proud of how my senior year’s turned out. We’re going to regionals. Winning as a team is what it’s all about.”

The former Goodpasture Christian all-state player from Madison, Tenn., broke Leah Tucker’s UTC record for career assists Friday and increased it to 512 by throwing home for the first two outs of the final inning in Saturday’s game. The Lady Mocs had scored four runs in the top of the inning, but Georgia Southern loaded the bases with no outs before Hutchison’s two force-outs.

“I love making plays. I want the ball hit to me,” she said, admitting that UTC’s four-run eruption was “so nice.”

When GSU slugger Robyne Siliga blooped the final out back to pitcher Kandice Irwin, Hutchison’s score after walking in UTC’s three-run third inning stood up as the winning run.

“I didn’t even realize that,” Hutchison said. “I just didn’t want them to score.”

She hit .292 in the regular season with six home runs, seven doubles and 29 RBIs, after batting .367 with 36 RBIs last year.

“A lot of people don’t know Toni’s been playing about 85 percent all year,” said UTC coach Frank Reed, recalling that he asked her if she wanted to take a redshirt year and have ankle surgery. “She’s got a bone in there that if it chipped off or moved just slightly, it would lock up her ankle and she’d be done.”

The team’s other senior, Laci Upchurch — also from Madison — did have to take the year because of an injury, and pitching ace Brooke Loudermilk almost did.

“I have a defect in my ankle bone,” Hutchison said. “Some cartilage slipped backward. It’s called OCD. But I wanted to play.”

Reed was glad to have her this year but wishes she were coming back.

“Four years ago we needed somebody to take over for Melissa Ramirez,” Reed said, referring to the Lady Mocs’ all-time hits, homers, RBIs and doubles leader who also is second in career runs and now third in assists. “I told Toni, ‘The position’s yours,’ and she has more than filled that void.

“I don’t know who’s going to be at third base next year,” he said, “but I can’t imagine playing without Toni Hutchison there.”