Courtesy of MVC
MVC Player of the Week
Erin Duewel, Jr., SS, Lee’s Summit, Mo. – Missouri State
Duewel blasted four home runs and slugged 1.375 on the week. She became the fourth MSU hitter this season with two home runs in the same game, doing so in game one on Saturday versus UNI. Over the five games last week, she hit a team-best .500 with eight RBI and four runs scored. She had two doubles, drew two bases on balls, dropped a sacrifice bunt and successfully stole a base on her lone attempt of the week.
MVC Pitcher of the Week
Jaelen Hull, So., LHP, Clifton, Ill. – Bradley
Hull factored in three of Bradley’s four victories last week, boasting a 1.27 ERA to go with a 2-0 record and one save in three appearances as the Braves went 4-1 last week to cap an eight-game home stand. In Tuesday’s game against Illinois-Chicago, the Flames had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh of a one-run game when Hull took over in the circle. She got a strikeout and fly out against UIC to earn her team-best second save of the year. Against Illinois State Wednesday, Hull came out of the bullpen to shutdown the Redbirds as the Braves rallied for an 8-7 victory. With Bradley trailing 7-6, Hull entered the game to get the final out of the fifth inning and held Illinois State to just one hit over the final 2.1 innings of work to help the Braves rally for a walk-off victory. In her final home outing of the season, Hull earned a complete game, eight-inning victory as the Braves collected another walk-off win with a 3-2 victory against league-leading Drake. She struck out a career-best nine batters in the victory and gave up two earned runs to the Bulldogs.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Erika Hansen, Fr., OF, Fillmore, Calif. – Bradley
Hansen collected hits in all five games for the Braves last week, hitting .444 with three doubles, four runs and two RBI as she helped Bradley to a 4-1 record. She reached base all four times in Tuesday’s 6-5 victory against Illinois-Chicago, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and a walk. In Wednesday’s walk-off victory against Illinois State, Hansen was 3-for-4 with a run. She gave the Braves a 4-0 lead in Saturday’s 6-4 setback to league-leading Drake with a RBI single in the third. With an eight-game hit streak on the line, Hansen delivered an eighth-inning bases loaded single to drive in the game-winning run in a 3-2 victory over the Bulldogs. Later in the day, she helped the Braves complete a doubleheader sweep of Drake, going 1-for-4 with a double and a run as she tallied her 19th double of the year for the most doubles in the Missouri Valley Conference since 2000. She enters the final week of the regular season with a season-best 10-game hit streak.
Other notable performances:
PLAYERS
Erika Hansen, Bradley
Hansen collected hits in all five games for the Braves last week, hitting .444 with three doubles, four runs and two RBI as she helped Bradley to a 4-1 record. She reached base all four times in Tuesday’s 6-5 victory against Illinois-Chicago, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and a walk. In Wednesday’s walk-off victory against Illinois State, Hansen was 3-for-4 with a run. She gave the Braves a 4-0 lead in Saturday’s 6-4 setback to league-leading Drake with a RBI single in the third. With an eight-game hit streak on the line, Hansen delivered an eighth-inning bases loaded single to drive in the game-winning run in a 3-2 victory over the Bulldogs. Later in the day, she helped the Braves complete a doubleheader sweep of Drake, going 1-for-4 with a double and a run as she tallied her 19th double of the year for the most doubles in the Missouri Valley Conference since 2000. She enters the final week of the regular season with a season-best 10-game hit streak.
Hayley Nybo, Drake
Hayley Nybo went 5-for-15 at the plate with two doubles, two home runs, three runs scored and five runs batted in in five games this past week. Nybo opened the week with home runs in consecutive games against Iowa State and UNI. She has smashed a team-leading nine home runs this season and has 32 in her career, which is one away from the most career home runs in program history. She is batting .325 with 31 runs scored and 12 doubles.
Danielle Freeman, Evansville
Danielle Freeman continues to be a force for the Aces. Freeman went 6-19 at the plate this past week for an average of .316. Freeman scored three runs and had six RBIs for the Aces. She also accumulated 15 total bases and had a slugging percentage of .789. Freeman was also able to hit three more homeruns to bring her total on the season to a team leading 13.
Kara Repp, Illinois State
Kara Repp was on fire at the plate over the course of four games this week. The senior finished 7-13 with a .538 average and led the team in hits. She scored four runs and drove in three others while one of her hits was a double. Repp’s .625 on-base percentage was second on the team and she also drew three walks.
Megan Stone, Indiana State
Senior Megan Stone continued her record breaking senior campaign for the Sycamores as she finished the week going 5-10 with six runs scored. The senior drew six walks, two were intentional, and was hit by a pitch once to hold an on base percentage of .706. Stone also tied the career doubles record on Sunday against Southern Illinois and broke the career and single season RBI records at Indiana State against Loyola on Wednesday on a pair of home runs. Over the four games, Stone finished with a 1.300 slugging percentage and is on pace to break the single season slugging percentage record by nearly .100. Stone also was a perfect 2-2 stealing bases and held a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage at first base.
Jamie O’Brien, Loyola
Jamie O’Brien went six-for-15 over four games last week, including a double and a home run to compile a .667 slugging percentage, while adding four RBI and crossing home plate three times. The freshman led the Ramblers in hits in both of Saturday’s losses at Illinois State before blasting her first home run of the season in Sunday’s victory. O’Brien was also perfect on the field, recording 11 assists and zero errors at third base over the four-game span.
Micalla Rettinger, Northern Iowa
Micalla Rettinger recorded a hit in every game for the Panthers this week, giving her a six game hitting streak. Rettinger tallied two hits while driving in two runs in UNI’s 15-8 game one win over Missouri State on Saturday. The junior added two more hits on Sunday, driving in two runs in the process. In Missouri Valley Conference play, Rettinger is batting .316 while leading the team in hits with 25.
Kalyn Harker, Southern Illinois
Kalyn Harker hit .455 and slugged .818 in three games for the Salukis last week. She hit in all three games and had three extra base hits—two doubles and a triple. She was a perfect 1-for-1 stealing bases and played error-free ball in center field. Harker increased her batting average against MVC competition to a league-leading .469–20 points higher than anyone else in the conference—and improved her hitting streak to nine games, the longest on the team this year.
Macklin Hitz, Wichita State
Macklin Hitz was 5-11 at the plate (.455) this past week with three runs scored, two doubles two homers, eight RBI, 13 total bases and a 1.182 slugging percentage. Hitz also had a walk and a .462 slugging percentage. On Wednesday against Missouri State, Hitz was 3-4 with her sixth homer of the year, a run scored and six RBI. Hitz’s six RBI was the most RBI by a Shocker in a single game since February 22, 2013 when Megan McCracken had six RBI against Detroit. Since April 3, Hitz is batting .410 (16-39) with seven runs scored, five homers, 18 RBI, four doubles, and three walks. Because of her month-long hot streak, Hitz has seen her overall batting average jump from .207 to .289. As Hitz is batting .289 for the season, she’s recorded 28 hits, 11 runs scored, six doubles, seven homers, 28 RBI, 55 total bases, a .567 slugging percentage (second on the team), nine walks, and a .336 on-base percentage.
PITCHERS
Taylor Lockwood, Indiana State
Junior Taylor Lockwood continues to lead the Sycamore pitching staff as she finished the week with a 1-0 record and 2.33 ERA with a complete game over the week. Lockwood threw 15.0 innings, allowing just five earned runs with 19 strikeouts and hitters hit just .207 against her. Lockwood threw a complete game, four hit effort to defeat Southern Illinois in the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday.
Erin Struemph, Missouri State
Struemph picked up the win in both victories over UNI last weekend. She pitched a career-high 11 innings in Saturday’s game two win. She had a 3.00 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched. Opponents hit a measly .247 against Struemph for the week.
Chelsea Ross, Northern Iowa
Chelsea Ross went 2-1 in the circle over the week, earning victories against the two of the top teams in the Missouri Valley Conference in Drake and Missouri State. Ross’ first win of the week came on Wednesday when she tossed a complete game in UNI’s 3-2 win over the Bulldogs as she struck out five batters. The junior right-hander kept it going, earning her 10th win in her last 12 appearances as UNI defeated MSU 15-8 while Ross struck out eight batters before falling to the Bears 6-4 on Sunday.
Katie Bertelsen, Southern Illinois
Katie Bertelsen posted a 1.17 ERA and a .219 opposing batting average in 18.0 innings last week. She won two MVC games and threw two complete games. She allowed just four extra base hits in 18 innings and increased her MVC win total to 12, which is tied for the league lead. She allowed just three earned runs while striking out eight. In her last seven appearances, Bertelsen has five wins and a 0.95ERA with two complete-game shutouts in 37.0 innings pitched, while opponents are hitting just .216 off her.
Katie Malone, Wichita State
Katie Malone had another strong week in the circle, as she went 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA in three appearances (two starts). She allowed just four earned runs in 16 innings of work while pitching a complete game, allowing a walk, struck out seven and held opponents to just a .175 batting average. One of last week’s three wins for Malone was in relief against Missouri State in Springfield, Mo. The Crete, Neb. native was perfect, pitching the final five innings without allowing a hit or walking a batter. During Malone’s perfect stretch, she struck out three while throwing just 52 pitches. When Malone picked up her 18th win of the season against Evansville on Sunday, she moved into a tie for eighth place on the Wichita State softball all-time wins list in a single season, tying Lindsey Lang who also won 18 games in 2003. She’s also already set a new career high for wins in a season, as her 17th win on Saturday eclipsed her previous career high of 16 wins during her freshman season. Overall, Malone is 18-9 with a 3.47 ERA with 16 complete games, two saves and 122 strikeouts.
NEWCOMERS
Tasha Alexander, Drake
Tasha Alexander went an impressive 7-for-16 with two doubles, two runs scored, two runs batted in and two stolen bases in five games this past week. Alexander is on a five-game hitting streak that has helped her average rise to .287, which ranks fifth on the team.
Ashlee Kawall, Evansville
Ashlee Kawall is coming off a solid week of play for the UE softball team. Kawall hit .385 while going 5-13 from the plate. Kawall was able to score two runs while accumulating five total bases on the week. She also managed two walks.
Riley Strandgard, Illinois State
Riley Strandgard finished the week 5-14 (.357) with four runs scored and three RBIs. The freshman hit two doubles and a home run during ISU’s 2-2 week. In game two against Loyola, Strandgard was at the plate in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on and her team down two. She launched a two-run homer to tie the game and the Redbirds would go on to win three batters later. Strandgard’s 12 total bases was a team-high for the week and she was also error-free at third base.
Jamie O’Brien, Loyola
Jamie O’Brien went six-for-15 over four games last week, including a double and a home run to compile a .667 slugging percentage, while adding four RBI and crossing home plate three times. The freshman led the Ramblers in hits in both of Saturday’s losses at Illinois State before blasting her first home run of the season in Sunday’s victory. O’Brien was also perfect on the field, recording 11 assists and zero errors at third base over the four-game span.
Erika Velasquez Zimmer, Missouri State
Velasquez Zimmer hit .444 with three extra-base hits over the past week. She slugged .667 with a pair of doubles and a triple while scoring four runs and driving in another. Velasquez Zimmer also had a perfect fielding percentage while picking up another outfield assist.
Kennedy Bailey, Northern Iowa
Kennedy Bailey tallied seven RBI over a four game span this week. Bailey added three home runs and has sent one deep in five of the last six contests. One of those home runs came in UNI’s 3-2 win over Drake on Wednesday. The Freshman homered in the sixth inning for the Panthers’ first run of the game while cutting the Bulldogs’ lead down to one. Bailey was hit by a pitch her next at-bat to plate the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh. Against Missouri State, Bailey homered in the Panthers’ 15-8 game one win on Saturday, racking up four RBIs in the process.
Mackenzie Wright, Wichita State
Mackenzie Wright had another great week, as she led the team with a .545 batting average (6-11) this past week. Wright also had three RBI, six total bases, a .545 slugging percentage, two walks, a .667 on-base percentage, and two stolen bases to go along with a 1.000 fielding percentage. Overall, Wright is second on the team in batting average (.366), second on the team in hits (56), has five doubles, three homers, 30 RBI, and 72 total bases (second on the team). The Midwest City, Okla. native owns a 471 slugging percentage, 19 walks, a .470 on-base percentage (second on the team), and is the team leader in stolen bases (17).
