Photo Courtesy of OVC
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Kendall Hooper, 1B, Sr., 5’6, Hermitage, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech
Hooper hit a pair of home runs against No. 4 Tennessee to begin the week. She went 5-for-12 with six RBI in the three-game sweep of Tennessee Tech. For the week, she hit .467 with 10 RBI, six runs scored, three doubles and two home runs. She has now had at least one RBI in seven straight games.
Others Nominated: Hannah Cole, Eastern Illinois; Kayla Joyce, Eastern Kentucky; Cadi Oliver, Jacksonville State; Shelby Miller, Murray State; Allison Smiley, SIUE; Courtney Gearlds, Tennessee State
PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Haley Chambers, P, So., 5’7, Coatesville, Ind. – SIUE
Chambers tossed her third career no-hitter against Southeast Missouri on Saturday. She also recorded complete game shutouts against Bradley on Thursday and against Southeast Missouri on Sunday. Over 19 innings last week, Chambers gave up just six hits and four walks while striking out 29. She currently leads the league in innings pitched (151.2) and is second in strikeouts (152) this season.
Others Nominated: Taylor Moon, Belmont; Stephanie Maday, Eastern Illinois; Tiffany Harbin, Jacksonville State; Mason Robinson, Murray State; Danielle Liberatore, Tennessee Tech
2014 OVC Softball Team Notes
AUSTIN PEAY (18-24 overall, 6-10 OVC): Austin Peay defeated Middle Tennessee before dropping three to Murray State. Lauren de Castro tossed her fifth shutout of the season in the win over MTSU. It was also de Castro’s 12th victory of the year, the most by an APSU pitcher since 2010 and ties for seventh most in a single-season at Austin Peay. de Castro scored a run against Murray State and now has 100 career runs scored, only the seventh Lady Gov to reach that milestone. Austin Peay will travel to Morehead State for a twinbill on Friday and Eastern Kentucky for a doubleheader on Saturday.
BELMONT (12-25 overall, 6-10 OVC): Belmont fell to Western Kentucky and went 1-2 against Eastern Kentucky last week. Sophomore Taylor Moon threw six innings in the win over Eastern Kentucky. She allowed four hits while striking out four in the victory. Moon gave up just one earned run over 12.0 innings of work last week. Belmont will host a pair of doubleheaders this weekend with Eastern Illinois on Friday and SIUE on Saturday.
EASTERN ILLINOIS (30-11 overall, 10-4 OVC): Eastern Illinois defeated Southern Illinois and swept a three-game series with UT Martin. Junior Hannah Cole hit a team-leading .500 for the week, recording six hits and eight total bases. She drove in a pair of runs and scored twice. Cole also hit her team-leading third triple of the season. Senior Stephanie Maday went 3-0 in the circle last week, picking up a pair of shutouts against UT Martin. She struck out 13 batters while allowing just three earned runs. Eastern Illinois will travel to Belmont for a pair on Friday and travel to Tennessee State for two on Saturday.
EASTERN KENTUCKY (22-15 overall, 10-5 OVC): Eastern Kentucky took two from Morehead State and went 2-1 against Belmont last week. EKU played its first-ever home night game on Saturday against Belmont. Sophomore Kayla Joyce recorded a hit in each game last week. She is currently riding a six-game hitting streak. In the win over Belmont on Saturday night, Joyce finished 3-for-3 with two doubles, one run scored and one RBI. She also recorded three stolen bases for the week. Junior Leanna Pittsenbarger held opponents to a .089 batting average last week. She recorded her eighth shutout of the season in the 4-0 win over Morehead State. She struck out 17 batters and allowed two hits in her two starts. She also picked up a save against Belmont on Saturday. Eastern Kentucky will travel to Tennessee on Tuesday before returning home to host doubleheaders with Murray State on Friday and Austin Peay on Saturday.
JACKSONVILLE STATE (29-11 overall, 13-4 OVC): Jacksonville State swept a three-game series with Morehead State last week. Sophomore Cadi Oliver drove in three runs and reached base safely in all three games. She hit a two-run shot in the doubleheader on Saturday. She recorded a 1.000 slugging percentage on the week and a .556 on-base percentage. Senior Tiffany Harbin tossed a pair of shutouts versus the Eagles. She gave up just two hits on Saturday and allowed just four hits on Sunday. She finished the week with 20 strikeouts. Jacksonville State will host Georgia State on Tuesday before traveling to Southeast Missouri for a doubleheader on Friday and to UT Martin for a pair on Saturday.
MOREHEAD STATE (7-28-1 overall, 3-12 OVC): Morehead State was shutout five times last week, falling to Eastern Kentucky twice and Jacksonville State three times. In non-conference action on Wednesday, the Eagles scored 14 runs in a pair of losses to Butler. The Morehead State pitching staff held Jacksonville State to just five hits in back-to-back games. Morehead State will travel to Dayton for a doubleheader on Wednesday before hosting doubleheaders with Austin Peay on Friday and Murray State on Saturday.
MURRAY STATE (24-18 overall, 8-5 OVC): Murray State took two from Evansville and swept Austin Peay in a three-game series last week. The Racers are on a seven-game win streak, which is the second longest in school history. Sophomore Shelby Miller hit .500 over the five games, tallying nine hits, including four doubles. She drove in five runs and scored five times. Freshman pitcher Mason Robinson went 2-0 in three appearances last week. She recorded a 1.65 earned run average and struck out 14 over 17.0 innings of work. Murray State will travel to Eastern Kentucky for a doubleheader on Friday and Morehead State for a pair on Saturday.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI (7-25 overall, 2-12 OVC): Southeast Missouri dropped three to SIUE last week. The Redhawks have lost its last eight games and 18 of its last 20. Savannah Carpenter leads the OVC in hitting for the second straight week. She is hitting .448 with four home runs, nine doubles, a triple, 11 runs scored and 19 RBI through 30 games and 29 starts. Southeast Missouri will host Jacksonville State for two on Friday and Tennessee Tech for a doubleheader on Saturday.
SIUE (20-18 overall, 12-3 OVC): SIUE defeated Saint Louis and Bradley before taking three from Southeast Missouri. Freshman Allison Smiley is currently riding a 12-game hitting streak after hitting .462 last week. She drove in one run and scored three times in the four games she played. She currently leads the team in RBI (17) and is second on the squad in hits (33) and doubles (5). Sophomore Haley Chambers tossed her third career no-hitter against Southeast Missouri on Saturday. She also tossed complete game shutouts against Bradley on Thursday and Southeast Missouri on Sunday. She did not give up an earned run and struck out 29 over 19.0 innings of work. SIUE will host Saint Louis on Tuesday before traveling to Tennessee State for a pair on Friday and Belmont for two on Saturday.
TENNESSEE STATE (16-30 overall, 2-7 OVC): Tennessee State dropped a pair to Samford before dropping three to Tennessee Tech last week. Freshman Courtney Gearlds hit her first two triples of her career and stole three bases on the week to increase her game leading total to 13. The Tigers will close out the home portion of the 2014 schedule by hosting SIUE for two on Friday and Eastern Illinois for a doubleheader on Saturday.
TENNESSEE TECH (15-31 overall, 7-10 OVC): Tennessee Tech fell to No. 4 Tennessee, before sweeping a three-game series from Tennessee State. Senior Kendal Hooper hit .467 for the week with 10 RBI and six runs scored. She hit a pair of home runs against Tennessee. Freshman pitcher Danielle Liberatore went 2-1 in the circle last week. She struck out 11 batters in 14.0 inning of action last week. Tennessee Tech will travel to UT Martin for two on Friday and Southeast Missouri for a pair on Saturday.
UT MARTIN (22-19-1 overall, 9-6 OVC): UT Martin defeated Memphis before being swept by Eastern Illinois last week. Taylor Manning hit .300 with doubles and two RBI on the week. Skyhawk pitching staff posted a 1.40 ERA in 25 innings of work while holding opponents to just a .205 batting average. UT Martin will host a pair of doubleheader this weekend as the welcome Tennessee Tech on Friday and Jacksonville State on Saturday.
