Northeast Conference Softball Weekly Awards

Schwartzmiller came out on fire on the season’s opening weekend, batting .455 while posting an outstanding 1.000 slugging percentage.  Schwartzmiller was key in the Colonials 9-0 win over Toledo, posting a pair of doubles and driving in three. The senior recorded three doubles on the weekend, all of which came when she had two strikes already on her, and in two of those three instances, there were two outs in the inning and runners on base. Schwartzmiller slugged her first collegiate home run in the bottom of the seventh to threaten Bowling Green before falling 3-2. The senior contributed four RBI in four games while scoring a pair of runs to help the Colonials to a 2-2 start.

Pitcher, Senior, Smithton, PA/Yough

Sleith was dominant in the circle for the Colonials as she compiled a 1.21 ERA over 17.1 innings. The senior threw a five-inning shutout in the season opener against Toledo while posting 10 strikeouts. Later in the day, Sleith earned the save against Niagara with the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the seventh, Sleith finished the Purple Eagles off with a strikeout to save the 3-1 Colonial victory. Not many batters left the batter’s box as Sleith posted a 13.7 strikeouts per seven innings pitched (34 in 17.1) while allowing opponents to hit only .150 against her. In the final game of the weekend against Bowling Green, she threw her second complete game, striking out 14, which tied her career-high and was the 16th double-figure strikeout effort of her career.

NEC Rookie of the Week

Third Base, Freshman, Eighty-Four, PA/Canon McMillan

Lorusso had a stellar collegiate debut, hitting .417 while recording a .462 on-base percentage and .667 slugging percentage. In her diamond debut, she collected a pair of hits against Toledo. She followed up with another pair of hits while driving in a pair of runs against Niagara. In the weekend finale against Bowling Green, she blasted her first collegiate home run off a two-time first team All-Mid-American Conference pitcher, becoming the first Colonial freshman to homer on the season’s opening weekend since 2012.