Photo Courtesy of Big South
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Radford’s Jessie Hutchens (Berwyn, Ill.) has been selected as the Big South Conference Choice Hotels Softball Player of the Week, while Longwood’s Elizabeth McCarthy (Dunnsville, Va.) has been named The Crons Brand Pitcher of the Week for games played March 31-April 6, it was announced today by the Conference office.
Hutchens batted .556 (10-for-18) with a 1.444 slugging percentage, .619 OBP, 17 RBI, nine runs scored, five home runs, four multi-RBI games, three stolen and three multi-hit games last week in a pair of Conference series with Liberty and Charleston Southern. The senior catcher started off the week with a 1-for-3 game with one home run and two RBI in a 12-0 win over Liberty, followed by a 2-for-3 outing with six RBI and a home run in 16-5 victory against the Lady Flames. In the series finale with LU, Hutchens recorded four hits, five RBI, three runs scored and two homeruns en route to a 10-2 win. She opened the weekend series with Charleston Southern by going 2-for-3 with three RBI, three runs scored, two stolen bases and one home run in an 11-2 win. Hutchens added a hit, an RBI and a run scored in a 5-4 triumph. The award is her first Player of the Week accolade this season.
McCarthy went 4-1 with a 0.83 ERA, 19 strikeouts, six walks, two complete games and one no-hitter last week for the Lancers. The freshman left-hander highlighted the week with a no-hitter against Campbell to earn an 8-0 win. She threw a complete game in a 5-1 victory over James Madison, recording eight strikeouts and walking two. McCarthy struck out four batters in 4.0 innings of work to earn an 8-1 win over Hampton and followed up with a 16-1 victory over Hampton in 3.0 innings. She finished the week allowing three earned runs in 25.1 innings pitched. The honor is her first Pitcher of the Week nod this season.
Also nominated for Softball Player of the Week: Jordan Clarke (Campbell), Amanda Daneker (Coastal Carolina), Samantha Meenaghan (Gardner-Webb), Marybeth Sciolino (Liberty), Megan Baltzell (Longwood), Shelby Petik (Presbyterian) and Mel Andrea (Winthrop)
Also nominated for Softball Pitcher of the Week: Katie Baker (Campbell), Ashley Bagwell (Coastal Carolina) Ashley Rhyne (Gardner-Webb), Abby Morrow (Radford) and Sarah Allen (Winthrop)