Photo Courtesy of MAC
MAC East Co-Pitcher of the Week
Tori Speckman, Buffalo, P
Senior, Alvin, TX/Alvin
Senior Tori Speckman threw just the third no-hitter in school history on Saturday afternoon and the first since 2010 as she shutout Ohio in UB’s MAC opener, 4-0. Speckman pitched to just three over the minimum as she allowed just three walks on the afternoon. Speckman struck out 10 Ohio hitters in the no-hitter, which was the first of her career. In three appearances this past week, Speckman struck out 27 batters in 20.2 innings pitched, averaging over a strikeout per inning. She had at least eight punch outs in all three games, while only walking six total batters all week. Speckman now has 143 strikeouts on the year in 131.1 innings pitched, while walking just 36 batters.
Savannah Jo Dorsey, Ohio University, P
So., Grove City, Ohio/Central Crossing
Dorsey helped the Ohio University softball team (19-15, 4-2 MAC) earn a Mid-American Conference East Division series split against Buffalo last weekend at the Ohio Softball Field on the second weekend of league play, going 1-1 with a 0.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts against just six hits and four walks over 11.0 innings of work. In the Saturday (April 5) 4-0 loss, the sophomore tallied seven strikeouts and did not surrender an earned run while going the distance for the 12th time in 2014. In Sunday’s (April 6) 6-3 triumph, she totaled three strikeouts while surrendering just two hits and two walks over four scoreless relief frames to earn the pitching victory and improve to 14-11 on the season.
MAC East Player of the Week
Kayla Ledbetter, Miami, C
Sr., Gahanna, Ohio/Gahanna-Lincoln
Ledbetter was Miami’s top hitter this week, finishing 10-for-18 (.556) with one home run and six RBIs. She had an impressive slugging percentage of .778 for the week and scored three runs. Ledbetter had hits in all five games the RedHawks played over the week. Against NKU on Wednesday she drove in two runs on a single in the bottom of the fourth. After giving the ‘Hawks three hits in the opener against Toledo on Friday, she had a home run and three RBI to lead Miami to an 11-5 win in the nightcap. Ledbetter also had three hits in two games against Bowling Green over the weekend. She had a sacrifice fly and a stolen base over the week, and was perfect behind the plate with a 1.000 fielding percentage (32 putouts and three assists).
MAC West Pitcher of the Week
Jessica Sturm, Northern Illinois, P
Jr., Goddard, Kan./Goddard
Jessica Sturm was very effective in the pitcher’s circle for the Northern Illinois University softball team this past week. The junior southpaw went 3-0, pitching three complete games for the Huskies. Sturm allowed four runs on nine hits and five base on balls for a 1.65 ERA. She began the week with two-hit, 10-2 five-inning victory over North Dakota in the second game of a doubleheader. In NIU’s 10-1 win over Western Michigan, the Wichita, Kan. native allowed one run on three hits and a walk, before wrapping up her weekend with a complete game victory over the Broncos to complete the sweep. She allowed one run, while scattering four hits and got out of a bases loaded jam in the second inning. In addition to her performance in the circle, Sturm was 4-for-12, including a triple, for a .333 batting average with five RBIs and two runs scored.
MAC West Player of the Week
Shelby Miller, Northern Illinois, SS
Sr., Ottawa, Kan./Ottawa
Senior Shelby Miller was on a tear at the plate as the Northern Illinois University softball team went 4-0 this past week. The Huskie shortstop went 7-of-11 from the plat for a .636 batting average, well above her season average of .362. She assumed the team’s lead in runs batted in with 23 by driving in seven runs last week. Miller’s biggest day of the week came in the series opener with Western Michigan. While she only went 1-for-2, her lone hit was a grand slam. She went 2-for-3 in each of NIU’s other three games, with two RBI’s in a 10-2 win in Game Two of a doubleheader with North Dakota and one RBI in the second game with the Broncos. She scored a run in all four games, including two runs in the first game against North Dakota and the series finale with Western Michigan.
Other Nominees:
Jennifer Gilbert, Ball State, LF
Sr, McKinney, Texas/McKinney
Senior left fielder Jennifer Gilbert put together one of the most impressive weeks in her career, posting a .750 batting average over Ball State’s three games, including a perfect 1.000 batting average in the Cardinals’ two-game weekend series versus Toledo … She opened the week with a two-run home run in Ball State’s loss at No. 23 Notre Dame, upping her career home run total to 67 which moves her to 16th on the NCAA’s career home run list … She followed by dominating Toledo pitcher Emily Anderson, going 4-for-4 against her is Saturday’s 8-1 Ball State victory … Gilbert logged three singles and a RBI triple in the win … On Sunday, Gilbert was hit by an Anderson pitch in her first at bat, and answered with a two-run single through the right side in her second plate appearance … Toledo wanted nothing to do with Gilbert the rest of the game, issuing intentional walk to the MAC’s all-time leading slugger in her final two plate appearance.
Nicole Steinbach, Ball State, P
So., Merrillville, Ind./Andrean
The reigning Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year opened league play with s strong showing versus Toledo, chalking up seven strikeouts and allowing just one run in Saturday’s 8-1 victory over the Rockets. She limited the Rockets to just six hits in the game and did not issue a walk … In a Sunday relief appearance versus Toledo, Steinbach allowed just one hit in the seventh inning.
Chelsea Raker, Bowling Green, 3B
Fr., Westerville, Ohio / Westerville South
Team notes for next MAC Weekly Release: Freshman Chelsea Raker went 4-for-8 in two games against Miami University over the weekend, helping the Falcons split with the Redhawks in Mid-American Conference action. Raker, who entered the weekend leading all freshman on the current roster in batting average, went 3-for-5 against Miami on Sunday afternoon, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the 10th inning to help the Orange and Brown defeat the Redhawks 9-5 in extra frames. Raker also had career highs of four RBI and seven total bases in the game. Overall, Raker is batting .299 (29-for-97) with six doubles, four homers and 16 RBI in 32 starts.
CarolAnn Sexauer, Central Michigan, SS
Jr., Canton, Mich. (Canton HS)
The junior had a big weekend at the plate in a pair of wins this weekend over MAC Foe Eastern. On Saturday Sexauer had one homerun (fourth of the season), scored one run and earned three RBI in a 9-7 win over the Eagles. In Sunday’s match up she went 3-2 at the plate scoring two runs and batting in two runs in the Chippewas fifth-straight win, 7-1. She has appeared in 18 games on the year and boasts a .358 batting average and .642 slugging percentage.
Morgan Yuncker, Central Michigan, P
Sr., Beal City, Mich. (Beal City HS)
Yuncker improved to 7-1 on the season with a three-hit gem Sunday afternoon at Eastern Michigan. The hard-throwing right hander struck out seven batters and gave up just a single run in securing a series sweep of the Eagles.
Ronnie Ladines, Kent State, P
Fr., Arlington, Wash./Arlington
Freshman Ronnie Ladines had perhaps the best outing of her young career in a Kent State uniform in a complete game victory to finish a sweep of rival Akron on Sunday. Ladines did not allow an earned run or a walk while striking out seven in a 3-1 victory. Akron managed just four hits off Ladines, who retired the final seven batters of the game.
Abbey Ledford, Kent State, INF
Sr., West Liberty, Ohio/West Liberty-Salem
Senior Abbey Ledford put the exclamation point on a seven-run sixth inning rally when she crushed a pitch over wall in right-center field for a grand slam that gave the Kent State a commanding lead on the way to an 8-3 victory over Akron on Saturday afternoon at Lee R. Jackson Field. It was the second hit of the day for Ledford, who hit .333 with four RBI in the Golden Flashes’ weekend sweep of the rival Zips to improve to 2-2 in conference play.
Amber Logemann, Miami, P
So., Earlham, Iowa/Earlham/Kirkwood CC
Logemann led Miami to both of its MAC wins this weekend. She finished with a 2-0 record in 16.2 innings pitched. She averaged over one strikeout an inning, finishing with 20. Against Toledo on Friday, Logemann pitched 6.2 innings, allowing only two runs on five hits while striking out a career-high tying 10. She followed it up with a brilliant performance against Bowling Green on Saturday. She did not give up a single earned run, and only allowed two hits in 6.1 innings pitched. She struck out another eight in that game. Logemann allowed only 11 hits in three appearances last weekend.
Adrienne Gebele, Ohio University, OF
Jr., Annapolis, Md./Broadneck
Gebele crushed her fourth home run of the 2014 season as the Ohio University softball team (19-15, 4-2 MAC) bested Mid-American Conference East Division foe Buffalo (16-15, 1-1 MAC), 6-3, on Sunday (April 6) in the weekend series finale at the Ohio Softball Field. Gebele bashed a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to give the Bobcats the early advantage. She bumped home a run when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the third inning for her third RBI of the day and added a single in the sixth to post her 11th multi-hit game of the season. Through 34 games in 2014, Gebele leads the Bobcats with a .365 batting average and 38 hits – including a team-leading nine doubles to go along with four round trippers, which is tied for most on the team. Her 18 RBIs are also tied for second-most on the team
Chandler Rice, Toledo, UTIL
Fr., Louisville, OH/Louisville
Freshman UT Chandler Rice went 8-for-17 (.571) this past week, vaulting her into the third-best batting average in the Mid-American Conference (.387). Rice recorded three multi-hit games, including a 3-for-3 effort with a double in Toledo’s 8-1 loss to Ball State on Saturday. On Sunday, Rice went 2-for-3 (.666) with two RBI to help the Rockets beat the Cardinals for the first time since 2005. Her sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh scored the game-winning run.
Allyson Kus, Western Michigan, P
So., West Bloomfield, Mich./West Bloomfield
Allyson Kus earned her third shutout of the season, working her 16th complete game of the year when WMU defeated 2013 Horizon League champion Valparaiso 5-0 to start the week. The sophomore sat down the final nine Crusaders that came to the plate to secure the victory, her team-leading ninth win of the year.
Melissa Palmer, Western Michigan
Sophomore, Troy, Mich./Athens
Melissa Palmer continued her hot-hitting week, going 1-for-3 on Sunday against NIU. She led the team over three games hitting .400 (4-for-10) with a run scored and the first home run of her Bronco career in a 5-0 win over Valparaiso. Palmer had one multi-hit game and hit safely in all three games this week, slugging .700.
– See more at: http://www.mac-sports.com/tabid/969/Article/336997/MAC-Announces-Softball-Players-and-Pitchers-of-the-Week.aspx#sthash.7TIg7BaN.dpuf
