Courtesy of the NEC
NEC Player of the Week
Alexis Bower, Saint Francis U
First Base, Sophomore, Cogan Station, PA/Williamsport Area
Bower was on fire for the Red Flash this past weekend, going 7-for-9 (.778) with a home run and seven RBIs to paced the Red Flash to a 3-1 record. In a sweep of Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday, Bower was a perfect 4-4 at the plate, scoring three runs while driving in one. In a split against Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday, Bower had another huge day. The sophomore went 3-for-5 with a double and homerun, drove in six and scored five. Bowers was a near impossible out as she walked three times and added two HBPs to raise her on-base percentage to .857 for the weekend.
NEC Pitcher of the Week
Laura Messina, Central Connecticut
Pitcher, Senior, Marlton, NJ/Camden Catholic
The senior was phenomenal once again in the circle this weekend, carrying the Blue Devils to a 4-0 record. Messina was nearly unhittable, hurling three shutouts in four completed games while posting a 0.52 ERA and holding batters to a miniscule .165 average. The four-time NEC Pitcher of the Week powered the Blue Devils to a sweep of Wagner on Saturday, striking out 16 and posting two shutouts on the day. The Marlton, NJ product followed with two more complete games, including a shutout in game one of a sweep of Mount St. Mary’s. Messina had recorded 41 straight innings without allowing a run before surrendering two in the nightcap against the Mount. Messina now has 902 career strikeouts and is leading the NCAA with 11 shutouts on the season.
NEC Rookie of the Week
Tori Constantin, Central Connecticut
First Base, Freshman, Norfolk, MA/King Philip Regional
Constantin hit .333 and was instrumental in leading the Blue Devils to their 10th straight win and sweeping NEC opponents Wagner and Mount St. Mary’s last week. Constantin started her weekend off with a pair of singles in game one against in a 1-0 win Wagner on Saturday. The freshman followed by blasting what proved to be the game-winning homerun – her fourth of the year – in the 3-0 nightcap victory. Constantin, now a three-time NEC Rookie of the Week honoree, closed her weekend with a 1-for-3 effort with a RBI and scored two runs in a 6-inning, 12-2 win over Mount St. Mary’s.
