Courtesy of the Northeast Conference
NEC Player of the Week
Elle Madsen, Bryant
Pitcher/Utility, Junior, Wheat Ridge, CO/Wheat Ridge
Madsen wasted no time in making a statement to defend her NEC Player of the Year title at the Spartan Invitational this weekend. Offensively, she went 5-for-12 (.417) with four HR, eight RBI and five runs scored. In the season opener against Maryland Eastern Shore on Friday, Madsen pitched a five inning shutout and blasted a two-run homerun. Unfortunately for UMES, the Madsen and the Bulldogs were not done making a statement on the field. On Saturday, the junior hurled another complete game shutout and belted three home runs, including one in the third inning as the Bulldogs broke the NCAA record with seven home runs in one inning and tied the record with 10 total in one game. Madsen was key in leading Bryant to a 3-1 record over the weekend and went 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA in the circle, allowing three runs on 12 hits with 5 Ks in 12 innings.
NEC Pitcher of the Week
Nicole Sleith, Robert Morris
Pitcher, Senior, Smithton, PA/Yough
Sleith was a force to be reckoned with this weekend, allowing opponents to hit just .160 off of her this past weekend and racked up 32 strikeouts against five walks in 22.1 innings pitched. The senior went 3-0 with three complete games in three starts and picked up a save. On Saturday, Sleigh notched 10 strikeouts in a win 9-2 win against North Dakota and sealed a 7-4 win over Eastern Michigan. Sleith tossed a four-hitter against Texas State with 13 strikeouts, one off matching her career high, as she notched her fourth double-digit strikeout effort in four starts. The senior closed out her stellar weekend as she etched her name in the Colonials record book. Sleith did not allow an earned run in an eight-inning effort against Harvard as she struck out nine without walking a batter and became just the second Colonial ever to surpass 700 career strikeouts.
NEC Rookie of the Week
Olivia Lorusso, Robert Morris
Third Base, Freshman, Eighty-Four, PA/Canon McMillan
Lorusso continued to impress during RMU’s second weekend of action, pacing the Colonials to a 4-1 record this weekend. Lorusso scored a run and recorded a RBI double against Eastern Michigan. Lorusso delivered in the clutch in the Colonials comeback win against Texas State. The freshman reached base safely in three of her four plate appearances against the Bobcats and launched a three-run home run in the fifth inning to turn a two-run deficit into a lead with two outs to give the Colonials the lead for good. Lorusso leads the Colonials in slugging percentage (.615), home runs (2), RBI (7), and is tied for the lead in total bases (16).
