Photo Courtesy of AAC
Temple and UCF each picked up two important American Athletic Conference wins over the weekend to take their respective series and saw key players earn weekly honors as a result. Temple senior Sarah Prezioso was named Player of the Week for the first time this season, while UCF junior Mackenzie Audas earned her second Pitcher of the Week accolade.
Prezioso fronted her Owls as they posted a 3-2 week, including taking two league wins at home over Rutgers to rise to 13-19 overall. Her 8-for-16 week included a crucial 3-for-3 performance in Saturday’s 14-6 win over the Scarlet Knights, sending in three runs in that game, two of which came from a second inning homer. She also scored the winning run for the Owls in a 6-5 walk-off win on April 9 against Towson. On the season, Prezioso paces her team with a .402 average (good for fourth in The American), 41 hits, seven home runs and 21 RBIs.
Audas shined in the weekend pitching duel between her Knights and USF, leading her squad to two wins over the Bulls and a 3-1 overall week. She tossed complete games in both of UCF’s conference wins, striking out seven in Saturday’s victory and three in Sunday’s matchup to warrant only one earned run. Audas was also largely responsible for snapping Stetson’s 13-game winning streak on April 9, fanning 11 and scattering only three hits to the Hatters. On the week, she posted a remarkable 0.33 ERA to lower her season mark to 1.60 and up her record to 14-8.
Honor Roll
Haley Outon, Houston, Sr., C
Outon went 6-for-15 on the week with four RBIs, posting two in Houston’s 3-2 win over No. 12/12 Baylor. She also jacked two home runs on April 12 in a 12-5 extra-inning win over Memphis.
Maryssa Becker, Louisville, Fr., P
Becker continued her strong second half of the season, picking up two more wins in the circle while fanning 10 batters in 11 innings of work for a 0.64 weekly ERA.
Katie Keller, Louisville, Sr., 2B
Keller batted .600 in Louisville’s 4-0 week, including two RBIs, two stolen bases, a double and a home run. She leads The American with a .532 on base percentage, 38 runs scored, 51 hits and 14 doubles.
Jackie Bates, Rutgers, Jr., CF
Bates’ outstanding junior campaign continued last week, as she hit .471 (8-for-17) in Rutgers’ 2-3 week, safely reaching base in all five games while knocking in two RBIs and blasting a home run.
Sara Nevins, USF, Sr., P
Nevins had a record-setting weekend, becoming the fifth active pitcher in the nation and first in USF history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts. She also earned her third no-hitter on the season in USF’s 4-0 shutout of UCF for the seventh such feat in her career.
