Photo Courtesy of Missouri Valley
NCAA-Leading Marks – TEAM
In the NCAA Division I softball rankings, six Missouri Valley Conference schools have ten top-25 rankings:
Wichita State (24th) – Batting Average
Illinois State (10th) – Fielding Percentage
Indiana State (21st) – Fielding Percentage
UNI (12th) – Home Runs per game
UNI (7th) – Doubles per game
Wichita State (22nd) – Doubles per game
Missouri State (20th) – Triples per game
Indiana State (14th) – Stolen Bases per game
Wichita State (24th) – Slugging Percentage
Loyola (18th) – Double Plays per game
NCAA-Leading Marks – INDIVIDUAL
In the NCAA Division I softball rankings, twelve Missouri Valley Conference student-athletes have twelve top-25 rankings:
Jayna Spivey, SIU (14th) – Doubles per Game
Morgan Allee, INS (21st) – Stolen Bases
Sloan Anderson, WSU (19th) – Saves
Katie Bertelsen, SIU (19th) – Saves
Kaitlyn Malone, WSU (19th) – Saves
Erin Struemph, MSU (19th) – Saves
Cacy Williams, WSU (25th) – Slugging Percentage
Rylee Holland, INS (11th) – Sacrifice Hits per game
Laura Canopy, ILS (13th) – Hit by Pitch per game
Allie Vadeboncouer, SIU (21st) – Hit by Pitch per game
Heather Duckworth, MSU (19th) – Triples
Kelsey Gonzalez, SIU (3rd) – Sacrifice Flies
RPI: Three in top-100
Three Missouri Valley Conference teams – Illinois State (59), Northern Iowa (76) and Wichita State (80) – are among the nation’s top-100 teams in the April 14 NCAA RPI ratings.
MVC Player of the Week
Brittany Fortner, Sophomore, Cedar Hill, Mo. – Wichita State
Fortner continued to help the Shockers this week, hitting .571 (8-for-14) with nine RBIs to go along with her team-leading 1.357 slugging percentage and a .571 on-base percentage. The Cedar Hill, Mo., native started the week going 3-for-3 against Missouri State, which included a RBI double in the first inning, a grand slam in the second and a home run in the fourth to lead Wichita State to a 12-0 victory in five innings. The sophomore added to her home run collection in the second game of the doubleheader against Drake Friday, with a shot to right center to lead the Shockers to a 2-1 victory. Fortner went 3-for-7 in the doubleheader, which also included two RBIs on the day. In the final game of the series, Fortner hit .500 (2-for-4) with a double and a RBI, giving her a team-high 13 doubles on the season, and helping theShockers to a 8-7 victory and the sweep of Drake.
MVC Pitcher of the Week
Chelsea Ross, Sophomore, Kansas City, Mo. – UNI
Chelsea Ross displayed a dominant presence this week for the Panthers picking up a pair of wins in the circle. Ross tossed 13.0 innings where she limited opponents to just a single earned run on four hits. Ross’s opponents were held to just a 0.93 batting average to go along with 0.54 ERA. Ross also fanned 14 opponents and surrendered no extra bases in the hits category.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Cacy Williams, Sophomore, Platte City, Mo. – Wichita State
Williams once again led the Shockers this week; hitting .600 (9-for-15) over four games with seven runs scored, three home runs and four RBIs to go along with an impressive 1.200 slugging and .647 on-base percentages. Against Missouri State, the sophomore transfer from Emporia State went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored with a home run to help lead the Shockers to a 12-0 victory in five innings. In the weekend sweep of Drake, Williams hit .545 (6-for-11) with an especially impressive performance in the final game Saturday, going 4-for-5 with two home runs to lift Wichita State to an 8-7 win. On the season, the sophomore leads the team and the MVC in batting average (.418), home runs (12), walks(29), slugging percentage (.787) and on-base percentage (.526).
Other notable performances:
PLAYERS
Marina Groenewegen, Bradley
Groenewegen hit .438 with three runs scored and three RBI to help power Bradley to a 3-2 record for the week. She collected hits in all five games as the Braves matched a school season record with their 12th league win of the year. Groenewegen was 1-for-3 in a 1-0 victory against Illinois State as Bradley ended an 11-game losing streak in the series with the Redbirds. In the nightcap, she went 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI. Against Indiana State, Groenwegen was 4-for-9 with three runs scored and two RBI, helping the Braves take two of three games. In the series opener, Groenewegen scored twice and drove in two other runs in a 2-for-4 effort in a 13-3 victory. She was 1-for-2 with a walk in the second game of the series and capped the week going 1-for-3 with a run and a walk in a 6-3 Bradley win. All three of her RBI came with two outs and she now owns a season-best five-game hit streak.
Laura Brewer, Drake
Laura Brewer slugged four home runs and drove in eight runs last week in Drake’s five games. Brewer launched three of those home runs in the series finale against Wichita State on Saturday. All three were two-run blasts as she finished with six runs driven in. Both career marks. She ended the week with a .357 batting average to raise her season mark to .308, which is second on the team. Brewer now leads the squad in home runs with six and RBI with 25. Coming into this season she had one career home run.
Jordan de los Reyes, Illinois State
De los Reyes led a Redbird offensive attack that averaged 8.4 runs per game last week en route to their first sweep of the year and a season-best four-game winning streak. The freshman hit .538/.667/1.077 with two home runs, seven RBI, six runs scored and five walks, and is now tied for first in the MVC with 40 RBI. She also leads ILS in average (.325), home runs (10) and slugging percentage (.625). In Wednesday’s doubleheader split at Bradley, de los Reyes forced the Braves’ pitching staff to work around her, as she went 1-for-4 with four walks. During the weekend sweep of Evansville, de los Reyes pounded Evansville pitching to the tune of a .667 average (6-for-9) with two home runs, seven RBI, six runs scored, one double and one walk.
Morgan Allee, Senior, Indiana State
After winning her first ever Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week honors last week, the defending Newcomer of the Year, senior Morgan Allee, picked up right where she left off in the five games the Sycamores played this week. Allee .538 on the week with a home run and three RBI’s with a slugging percentage of .846. Allee also had an on base percentage of .647 after getting hit by three pitches which tied the school record of 10 total in a season. The MVC leader in stolen bases also stole two more bags and scored four runs.
Annie Korth, Loyola
Loyola University Chicago junior Annie Korth had a stellar week at the plate this past week, hitting .583 (7-for-12) over six games. Korth kicked off the week with one hit in Loyola’s 2-1 win over Indiana State and added another in game two of the double header. The junior then hit .833 (5-for-6) in Loyola’s three-game series against Southern Illinois this past weekend. Korth was unstoppable at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader with a clutch hit in the top of the seventh inning to keep the Loyola rally alive. The junior then went 2-for-3 in the series finale, hitting an RBI single in the top of the second inning to plate Loyola’s first run and roping her second single of the day in the bottom of the second inning to advance the runner that ultimately scored Loyola’s second run of the game. Korth also collected eight putouts on the week, maintaining a 1.000 fielding percentage.
Rikki Alcaraz, UNI
Rikki Alcaraz played a major role in the University of Northern Iowa’s success this week. Alcaraz’s week was highlighted by her performance in game one against Missouri State where she went 3-for-3 at the plate with two homers, a single and seven RBI. Starting all five games for the Panthers, she was a continuous threat throughout the rest of the week. Alcaraz went 6-for-15 in the batter’s box posting a .400 batting average. Her six hits featured a double, three homers and a team-leading eight RBI. Her timely hitting also led to a .438 on-base percentage and a 1.067 slugging percentage.
Jayna Spivey, Southern Illinois
Jayna Spivey continued her tear in MVC play by leading SIU to a perfect 5-0 week, with all five games coming in MVC play. She hit .417 and posted an outstanding .650 on-base percentage by drawing eight walks on the week. She scored eight runs, as well. She hit two doubles, giving her 16 on the year and breaking SIU’s single-season doubles record. She also hit a home run and posted an .833 slugging percentage. Spivey has been so hot in MVC play that her .417 average last week actually decreased her MVC-only average, which is now at .458 through 19 games.
PITCHERS
Madeline Lynch-Crumrine, Bradley
Lynch-Crumrine went 3-1 in four appearances, posting a 2.00 ERA with a complete game shutout. She helped Bradley end an 11-game losing streak in the series with Illinois State as she tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout against the Redbirds to open the week. In the weekend series at Indiana State, Lynch-Crumrine earned both of Bradley’s victories in the series. She held hitters to a .259 average for the week and Saturday’s victory was her career-best 15th victory. Lynch-Crumrine is the first Bradley pitcher with 15 or more wins in a season since Ashley Birdsong had 20 wins as a senior in 2009.
Rebekah Schmidt, Drake
Rebekah Schmidt finished last week with a 2.29 earned run average and a 1-1 mark in the circle. The loss to Wichita State in the second game on Friday snapped an eight-game winning streak for the junior, who had not taken a loss since March 30 versus Loyola. Schmidt allowed just six runs across 18.2 innings and struck out 15 batters last week.
Regan Romshek, Illinois State
Romshek followed up her MVC Pitcher of the Week accolade with more dominant performances last week, as she went 3-1 with a 1.09 ERA in the Redbirds’ 4-1 stretch. The sophomore ranks second in the MVC among starters with a 2.86 ERA, and has thrown the second-most innings in the league (176.1). Romshek began the week by going 1-1 in ILS’ doubleheader split at Bradley, Wednesday. She was a tough-luck loser in game one after allowing just one run in 6.0 innings pitched, before throwing 3.1 innings of scoreless relief in game two to earn the victory. Romshek stifled Evansville in the Redbirds’ weekend sweep of the Purple Aces, surrendering only a two-run home run in a combined 10.0 innings pitched. In game two of Saturday’s doubleheader, Romshek tossed her third shutout of the season to lead the Redbirds to their first sweep of the season.
Brittany Gardner, Loyola
Senior Brittany Gardner was a workhorse for Loyola University Chicago this past week, kicking the first of four starts with a nine-inning complete game victory over Indiana State on Tuesday. The senior was dominant in the circle, giving up just one run on five hits and tying her season-high with eight strikeouts. After pitching another six innings in a 5-3 loss to Indiana State in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, Gardner was again given the ball in the series opener of Loyola’s conference matchup against Southern Illinois this weekend. Despite the 2-1 result, Gardner was dominant in the circle against the Salukis, maintaining a one-hitter until the bottom of the seventh inning. The lefthander was again given the start in the series finale, pitching her fourth complete game of the week and striking out six Salukis in the loss.
Katie Bertelsen, Southern Illinois
Katie Bertelsen led SIU to a perfect 5-0 week with three complete games and three wins, all against MVC competition. She completed the three wins with just a 2.33 ERA and held opponents to only a .228 batting average. She struck out 10 batters while walking only six in 21.0 inning pitched. Her three wins bumped her 2014 MVC-only total to eight, which ranks second in the conference.
Katie Malone, Wichita State
The freshman from Crete, Neb., was a force on the mound for Wichita State in the midweek game against Missouri State, pitching her first career no-hitter as the Shockers defeated the Bears 12-0 in five innings Wednesday. Malone’s no-hitter marked the first no-hitter at Wichita State since 2006 when Margo Pruis shut out Northern Colorado. Malone struck out three, facing 18 batters and throwing 59 pitches in the victory. The freshman struck out seven against Drake, including two in the sixth inning of the final game to lift the Shockers to a 8-7 win and the sweep. Over the last four games, Malone went 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 11 innings and led the Shockers with 10 strikeouts.
NEWCOMERS
Megan Sowa, Drake
Megan Sowa hit a blistering .583 (7-of-12) at the plate this past week for the Bulldogs. She recorded at least one hit in four out of the five contests, including three in the second game of the Wichita State series. It was her second three-hit game of the season. Sowa added a stolen base and three runs scored last week. She is hitting a team-leading .367 in her first campaign.
Chandra Parr, Evansville
Chandra Parr has continued to improve over the 2014 season. The freshman outfielder has been stellar at the plate and defensively. Over the past five games Chandra has hit three homeruns, tying Kayla Fortner for the team lead with nine, she had four RBI on six hits and drove in three runs. Parr is now sitting second on the team with a .317 batting average, a .600 slugging percentage, 13 walks and six hit by pitches. Last week alone Parr had a 1.071 slugging percentage, 14 total bases and a 1.000 fielding percentage and a .429 batting average.
Jordan de los Reyes, Illinois State
De los Reyes led a Redbird offensive attack that averaged 8.4 runs per game last week en route to their first sweep of the year and a season-best four-game winning streak. The freshman hit .538/.667/1.077 with two home runs, seven RBI, six runs scored and five walks, and is now tied for first in the MVC with 40 RBI. She also leads ILS in average (.325), home runs (10) and slugging percentage (.625). In Wednesday’s doubleheader split at Bradley, de los Reyes forced the Braves’ pitching staff to work around her, as she went 1-for-4 with four walks. During the weekend sweep of Evansville, de los Reyes pounded Evansville pitching to the tune of 6-for-9 with two home runs, seven RBI, six runs scored, one double and one walk.
Erika Crissman, Indiana State
Freshman Erika Crissman finished the week for the Sycamores going 7-16 at the plate for a .438 average with four RBI’s and a double. Crissman also hit her first career home run on Friday against Bradley and had two runs scored and remained perfect on the base paths with a stolen base. The freshman also held a .688 slugging percentage and a perfect fielding percentage.
Alyssa Mannucci, Loyola
Loyola freshman Alyssa Mannucci had an impressive weekend against Southern Illinois, hitting .500 (5-for-10) in the three-game series. Mannucci kicked off the series with a 3-for-3 day in the series opener, scoring one of Loyola’s two runs. In game two, the freshman finished 1-for-4, with her sole hit coming in the top of the seventh inning to load the bases and set Loyola up for a comeback. The freshman continued her clutch hitting in game three, finishing 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Rikki Alcaraz, UNI
Rikki Alcaraz played a major role in the University of Northern Iowa’s success this week. Alcaraz’s week was highlighted by her performance in game one against Missouri State where she went 3-for-3 at the plate with two homers, a single and seven RBI. Starting all five games for the Panthers, she was a continuous threat throughout the rest of the week. Alcaraz went 6-for-15 in the batter’s box posting a .400 batting average. Her six hits featured a double, three homers and a team-leading eight RBI. Her timely hitting also led to a .438 on-base percentage and a 1.067 slugging percentage.
Shaye Harre, Southern Illinois
Shaye Harre hit .467 in SIU’s perfect 5-0 week, including a 5-for-6 day in a doubleheader sweep against Evansville. She drew four walks to post a .600 on-base percentage and scored four runs, helping SIU improve its winning streak to seven games, all of which have been in MVC play. She had four RBIs on the week, pushing her season total to 37, which is fourth in the MVC.
