Courtesy of the Missouri Valley Conference
Weather wreaked havoc this weekend as three tournaments got cancelled. This week’s Player of the Week goes to Erika Crissman (INS). Alyson Spinas-Valainis of Bradley was named MVC Pitcher of the Week and teammate Erika Hansen MVC Newcomer of the Week.
MVC Player of the Week
Erika Crissman, Sophomore, Los Alamitos, Cal. – Indiana State
Sophomore Erika Crissman continued her hot start to her sophomore campaign as she recorded nine hits in 15 at bats for a .600 average on the weekend, including a game against No. 19 Arizona State. The sophomore also recorded two doubles and four RBI’s to lead the Sycamores while drawing two walks for a .647 on base percentage. Crissman also was a perfect 3-3 in stolen bases with a perfect fielding percentage and .733 slugging percentage. On the season, Crissman is hitting an even .500 on the season with a team leading eight RBI’s and 14 hits.
MVC Pitcher of the Week
Alyson Spinas-Valainis, Senior, Davenport, Iowa – Bradley
Spinas-Valainis posted a 0.78 ERA in three appearances, including two complete game efforts. She tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief in a one-run setback to Eastern Kentucky to open tournament play. Spinas-Valainis came back later that same day for the longest outing of her career as she threw 8.1 innings in a 3-2 setback to Georgia Southern. She held the Eagles to three runs (one earned) and struck out a career-high six batters. On Sunday, Spinas-Valainis tossed another complete game in an extra inning contest. She carried a shutout bid into the sixth inning before a pair of unearned runs helped Dayton force extra innings. Spinas-Valainis limited Dayton to just five hits over her 8.0 innings of work and she limited opponents to a .216 batting average in her three appearances.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Erika Hansen, Freshman, Fillmore, Calif. – Bradley
Hansen continued her hot hitting, posting .545 batting average with four RBI, two doubles and a team-best four walks in four games at the Eagle Classic in Statesboro, Ga. In addition to an impressive .667 on base percentage and .727 slugging percentage. She opened with week with a 2-for-3 effort with a pair of RBI in a 9-8 setback against Eastern Kentucky. Hansen, who has reached base safely in seven consecutive games, drew a walk in an extra-inning contest against tournament-host Georgia Southern Saturday. She was 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI vs. North Carolina and capped the weekend with a 2-for-2 effort in an extra-inning affair with Dayton. She had a double, one RBI and two walks vs. the Flyers.
Other notable performances:
PLAYERS
Erika Hansen, Bradley
Hansen continued her hot hitting, posting .545 batting average with four RBI, two doubles and a team-best four walks in four games at the Eagle Classic in Statesboro, Ga. In addition to an impressive .667 on base percentage and .727 slugging percentage. She opened with week with a 2-for-3 effort with a pair of RBI in a 9-8 setback against Eastern Kentucky. Hansen, who has reached base safely in seven consecutive games, drew a walk in an extra-inning contest against tournament-host Georgia Southern Saturday. She was 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI vs. North Carolina and capped the weekend with a 2-for-2 effort in an extra-inning affair with Dayton. She had a double, one RBI and two walks vs. the Flyers.
Chandra Parr, Evansville
Chandra Parr was able to hit .455 this weekend. Parr compiled a team high of 5 hits in 11 at bats. Parr was also able to draw 4 walks and was hit by a pitch this. In total, Parr reached base 10 times in four games. Parr was also able to put up 3 runs this weekend. Two of those runs came against Northern Illinois which contributed to a 9-1 victory for the Aces. Parr also boasted an OB% of .625 and a SLUG% of .833.
Chelsea Jones, Missouri State
Jones had an all-around great weekend for the Bears. She led MSU with a .400 average at the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational. On Saturday, she broke up Louisiana hurler Jordan Wallace’s no-hit bid with a two-out single in the seventh against the #6 team in the nation. In the nightcap, she tied a career-high with three hits against Iowa. Her single to lead off the eighth inning started the game-winning rally that saw Jones cross home plate with the winning run. On Sunday, she walked, scored a run, put down a successful sacrifice bunt and drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. In the circle, Jones tossed all eight innings in the win over Iowa, tying a career-high with six strikeouts. Jones was named to the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational all-tournament team for her performance over the weekend.
Brittany Fortner, Wichita State
Brittany Fortner hit .385 (5-13) with a home run, a RBI, a double, three runs, a .692 slugging percentage, a .467 on-base percentage and nine total bases in five games this weekend at the EMU Madeira Beach Classic in Madeira Beach, Fla. So far, Fortner either leads the team or is tied in every statistical offensive category except RBI, runs scored, hit by a pitch, and strikeouts.
PITCHERS
Amanda Blankenship, Evansville
Amanda Blankenship was able to compile a record of 1-3 this weekend while earning her second victory of the season. Blankenship threw 3 complete games on the weekend which totaling 24 innings of work for the Aces. Blankenship finished the weekend with an ERA of 3.79. Blankenship also had 14 strikeouts in 4 games of action.
Regan Romshek, Illinois State
Regan Romshek went 2-1 over the weekend with wins over Liberty and Mercer. In 15.1 innings pitched she scattered 15 hits while giving up five earned runs and keeping her earned run average at 2.93. Romshek struck out 14 batters, including a season-high eight against Liberty, and walked seven.
Erin Struemph, Missouri State
Struemph continues to be a consistent and reliable option in the circle both as a starter and a reliever. In Friday’s doubleheader at McNeese State, she struck out a batter in each outing. In game one, she pitch 1.0 innings and did not allow a run. She returned in the nightcap and again kept the Cowgirls off the scoreboard in 0.1 innings. Struemph took the ball against #6 Louisiana on Saturday afternoon. She held the Cajuns hitless over the first 2.1 innings pitched. Struemph went 5.1 innings and struck out six Cajuns while holding one of the nation’s most prolific offenses to just four runs. On Sunday, she entered in the fourth inning against Iowa and pitched the final four innings striking out five Hawkeyes and scattering just two hits to earn the win. On the weekend, Struemph struck out 13 batters and is the only MVC pitcher to strike out more batters (35) this season than hits allowed (30).
Jenni Brooks, Wichita State
Jenni Brooks went 1-1 in four appearances (two starts) at the EMU Madeira Beach Invitational last weekend, throwing 13 innings in the circle. She led the team with a 2.69 ERA, allowed just five runs (all earned) on 12 hits, walked five, struck out seven and had a .250 batting average against.
NEWCOMERS
Hayli Scott, Evansville
Hayli Scott had another impressive tournament for the Aces. Scott put together an average of .267 while grabbing 4 hit in 15 at bats. Scott also was able to score 3 runs for the Aces. Scott was also able to grab a team high two doubles this weekend. She was also able to contribute two RBIs for the Aces.
Riley Strandgard, Illinois State
Riley Strandgard was given the start on the infield three times this weekend and she answered the call. Strandgard led the team with a .667 batting average and a team-high four hits. One of those hits included her first career home run – a solo blast that gave ISU the lead over No. 1 Florida. She finished the weekend with a 1.167 slugging percentage and was also perfect in the field.
Mary Turitto, Indiana State
Sophomore Mary Turitto had big weekend in her second tournament as a Sycamores as she hit .417 over the five games played at the Diamond Devil Invitational. The sophomore recorded five hits, and a double with two RBI’s. Turitto also held a .462 on base percentage and recorded a sacrifice for the Sycamores.
Chelsea Thomas, Missouri State
Thomas continued her torrent offensive power display over the weekend at the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational. In the opener on Friday, she blasted her team-leading fifth home run of the season. She also drew a walk against McNeese State. On Saturday, she drew her second walk of the weekend. Sunday, she put her power back on display. After reaching on an infield single in the third inning, she drilled a home run to left to lead off the fifth inning. In her final plate appearance, she walked on four pitches.
