Weekly NCAA Conference Softball Awards Round-up 4-6-2016

SEC Softball

Player of the Week

Ashley Walters • Texas A&M

Sophomore • C • Kerrville, Texas

Walters batted .700 on the week with seven hits and 10 RBI. She recorded an on-base percentage of .700 and a 1.200 slugging percentage in Texas A&M’s series vs. Arkansas. Walters drove in a career-high six RBI in Sunday’s 9-1 victory over the Razorbacks. She currently leads the team in batting average (.464) and RBI in SEC games.

Pitcher of the Week

Sydney Littlejohn • Alabama

Junior • RHP • Rusk, Texas

Littlejohn recorded three SEC victories over ranked teams, including one over No. 15 Missouri at home and two over No. 1 ranked Florida in Gainesville. She secured a series victory over Missouri with a complete-game victory on Monday in Tuscaloosa, holding the Tigers to just two runs on five hits. Littlejohn then won a pair of games over the top-ranked Florida Gators on the road to give Alabama the first SEC series win for any team over Florida in over a calendar year. She held Florida to just one run on seven hits over 13.1 innings pitched (0.53 ERA), including just one extra-base hit.

Freshman of the Week

Reagan Dykes • Alabama

C • Collins, Miss.

Dykes earned a hit in all four games this week, going 4-10 (.400) from the plate with three runs scored and five RBIs. She registered a pair of home runs, first on Monday against Missouri and then again on Saturday at Florida. This raises her season total to a team-leading nine, which is the highest total for an Alabama freshman since Kaila Hunt (10) and Jaclyn Traina (13) in 2011. Defensively, Dykes threw out two runners caught stealing in the weekend series over Florida.

Pac-12 Softball

SAN FRANCISCO — The Pac-12 Conference office announced the softball weekly honors for play from Mar. 29 –Apr. 3. ARIZONA STATE senior Jennifer Soria was named player of the week, UCLA’s Paige McDuffee was tabbed pitcher of the week while fellow Bruin Brianna Tautalafua was voted freshman of the week.

Soria (Simi Valley, Calif.) led the ASU offense and defense to a series victory over Cal on the road in Berkeley. Soria went 7-for-13 on the weekend with four home runs as she slugged an outstanding 1.462 on the weekend. Soria knocked a team-leading six RBIs and scored seven runs in the series, four more than any other player on the roster and nearly a third of the total 22 runs scored on the weekend. Soria went 3-for-5 in the opener, hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning that would prove to be the game winner. She added another solo home run Saturday before closing the weekend with a 3-for-4 effort with her fourth home run and three RBIs in the series finale. Her four home runs were especially notable as Cal pitchers had given up 18 all season entering the weekend (28 games, .64 per game), as Soria had more than 1/5th of that total in three games alone (1.33 per game). This is ASU’s 82nd all-time weekly honor.

McDuffee (The Woodlands, Texas) was stellar in two appearances at No. 4 Oregon this weekend, picking up a win on Sunday and posting a 0.72 earned run average and four strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings to help the 16th-ranked Bruins clinch the series victory. UCLA’s win over Oregon marked the first Pac-12 series loss for the Ducks since 2013. After missing last weekend’s series at Washington due to an injury, she was on a pitch count versus the Ducks but was economical in her pitching numbers. Starting on Saturday, she tossed three innings before reaching her limit, striking out two and giving up just a run and two hits. The redshirt junior induced three double plays during the game, as UCLA kept the national lead in that category. McDuffee was outstanding though on Sunday, getting through 6 2/3 innings of relief with only 58 pitches. She struck out two and gave up just one unearned run, one hit and one walk. McDuffee retired the last 14 batters of the game to win her second game of the season. This is UCLA’s 139th all-time weekly accolade.

Tautalafua’s (Carson, Calif.) hit total rose throughout the weekend at No. 4 Oregon, as she recorded one hit on Friday, two on Saturday and three on Sunday in helping the 16th-ranked Bruins to a series win and sent the Ducks to their first Pac-12 series loss since 2013. Including a midweek win at Cal State Fullerton, Tautalafua batted .500 with six hits in 12 at-bats, adding three home runs, six runs batted in and five runs scored. In game one against Oregon, after reaching base via errors in her first two at-bats, the freshman connected on her first long ball of the weekend, a three-run shot in the fifth in the Bruins’ 16-6 rout. A day later, Tautalafua singled in her first at-bat and posted an RBI hit in her third appearance before leaving the yard twice on Sunday. She hit a solo homer in the second and added another solo shot in the fifth, adding a seventh-inning single for the first three-hit game of her career. This is UCLA’s 140th all-time weekly nod.

Big 12 Softball

Oklahoma State’s Tiffany Mikkelson and Kansas’ Andie Formby have been named the Big 12 Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. Mikkelson hit at a .545 clip and Formby ran her scoreless streak to 19 innings en route to the awards. It marks Formby’s third weekly award of 2016 and her second in a row, while Mikkelson earns her first weekly honor.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tiffany Mikkelson, Oklahoma State, OF, Sr., Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Mikkelson put on a hitting clinic to help the Cowgirls to a perfect 3-0 week against Wichita State and Ole Miss. She started the week off by blasting two doubles and a home run while accounting for six RBI in the win over the Shockers last Wednesday night, an OSU single-game record. Mikkelson then picked up right where she left off in Friday’s first game against Ole Miss, crushing a two-run homer. The senior from Aliso Viejo, California finished the week with two hits and two RBI in game two vs. the Rebels. Five of her six hits went for extra bases, and her two home runs put her just two away from breaking the OSU record for career home runs. She currently is tied for the league lead this season in runs scored with 29 and is third in RBI with 31.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Andie Formby, Kansas, RHP, So., Orange, California
Formby helped Kansas to a perfect 2-0 record last week while posting a 0.00 ERA in two appearances. Following her no-hit performance to end the Rock Chalk Challenge Tournament last week, Formby returned to the circle and tossed her eighth complete game of 2016 and sixth complete-game shutout in a win over Evansville. Formby struck out a career-high nine batters to grab the win. The Orange, California product then entered in relief in the second game of the doubleheader and threw six more scoreless innings. Formby struck out four during her second appearance and improved to 2-0 with an extra-inning Jayhawk victory. Formby finished the week with a total of 13 strikeouts in 13 innings of work without allowing a walk or an earned run. Dating back to her no-hitter, Formby hasn’t allowed a run to cross home plate in 19-straight innings. She is currently second in the conference in ERA (1.50) and third in strikeouts (81 in 88.2 IP).

ACC Softball

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – North Carolina freshman Berlynne Delamora has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Player of the Week, while Pitt sophomore Kayla Harris and Virginia Tech senior Maggie Tyler earned ACC Pitcher of the Week accolades.

The honors are the first of the season for Delamora and Harris, while Tyler was named ACC Pitcher of the Week for the second time this year and the second week in a row.

Delamora led the Tar Heels to a 4-1 week that included a series win over 25th-ranked and second-place ACC opponent Louisville. The Hacienda Heights, California, native hit .667 (8-for-12) with a 1.000 slugging percentage and .750 on-base percentage. That included a clutch .833 (5-for-6) with runners in scoring position and four two-out RBIs. Delamora proved the difference-maker in UNC’s 6-5 win over the Cardinals in game two, finishing with three RBIs that included a two-out, two-run homer to open the scoring in the the bottom of the first and a walk-off, game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh. She proved the catalyst in UNC’s 8-6 win in game three, reaching base in all four of her plate appearances, scoring three runs and driving in another. Delamora was also perfect defensively with six putouts and four assists at third base.

Harris earned three of Pitt’s four wins on the week, including two in an ACC series victory over NC State. Harris allowed three runs in 15 total innings pitched while striking out 17 batters. The Chesapeake, Virginia, native allowed just five total hits and two walks while striking out 10 in eight total innings in the Panthers’ two wins over the Wolfpack. She began the week with a five-inning, two-hit, six strikeout performance in a five-inning shutout of St. Bonaventure.

Virginia Tech’s Tyler gave up one run in 18.2 innings of work, posting a 0.48 ERA through four games while posting a 3-0 record. The Poquoson, Virginia, native struck out 19 batters, did not issue a walk and tossed two complete-game (seven-inning) wins, including one shutout. With 14 wins on the season, Tyler is one shy of her career high set in both 2014 and 2015.

Big Ten Softball

Player of the Week
Sierra Romero, Michigan
Sr., 2B, Murrieta, Calif. – Vista Murrieta

• Batted .875 (7-for-8) and recorded a 2.250 slugging percentage in a series sweep of Indiana
• Tallied a home run in each game, including two multi-hit contests, totaling three home runs, a pair of doubles, six RBI and seven runs scored
• Matched a career-high with four hits in the series opener, contributing to a .923 on-base percentage
• Claims her sixth career Player of the Week award and second this season
• Last Michigan Big Ten Player of the Week: Lindsay Montemarano (March 28, 2016)

Pitcher of the Week
Marlaina Laubach, Penn State
Jr., RHP, Northampton, Pa. — Northampton

• Earned a complete-game win in the series-opening contest against Michigan State, while picking up the save in game two
• Recorded a 0.78 ERA after giving up only two runs, one of which was earned, and six hits in nine innings of action
• Leads the Big Ten with a 0.66 ERA in conference games this season
• The 2014-15 Academic All-Big Ten honoree earns her first Pitcher of the Week honor
• Last Penn State Big Ten Pitcher of the Week: Lisa Akamine (March 28, 2011)

Freshman of the Week
Morgan Nelson, Northwestern
3B, Scottsdale, Ariz. – Scottsdale Prep Academy

• Helped the Wildcats to a win over nationally ranked Minnesota
• Batted .625 (5-for-8) with a pair of home runs, five RBI and four runs scored
• Recorded two multi-hit games with a 1.500 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage
• Earns her first weekly honor
• Last Northwestern Big Ten Freshman of the Week: Sabrina Rabin (May 4, 2015)

Sun Belt Softball

NEW ORLEANS – The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is ranked third in the NCAA Women’s Softball RPI after their series sweep of Texas State over the weekend. The Ragin’ Cajuns sit behind Florida (#2, 34-3) and Michigan (#1, 27-3), announced Monday.

Sunday’s victory increased the Ragin’ Cajuns win streak – which began with a 5-4 win over then-No. 5 Oregon on Feb. 20 – at Lamson Park to 14 games. Junior pitcher Alex Stewart led the Cajuns to victory on Sunday after tossing her fifth consecutive Sun Belt shutout; earning the title of Community Coffee Pitcher of the Week.  Overall, she posted three wins, leading the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 4-1 mark last week.

Stewart picked up her third win of the season over a ranked team with a 4-3 triumph in Game 2 at No. 19 Baylor on Tuesday. She held the Bears scoreless through the first four innings prior to Kelsey Vincent’s grand slam that gave Louisiana the lead. In 13 innings at Baylor, she shutout the 19th-ranked Bears in 10 of those frames.

Stewart pitched 14 innings of scoreless softball and held Texas State to just four hits in collecting two shutouts of the Bobcats in a Sun Belt series at Lamson Park. She matched her career high with 11 strikeouts in the series opener. She wrapped up the Texas State series with a one-hit shutout, striking out six and facing only three over the minimum. The Cajuns hurler finished the week allowing only five runs and limiting foes to 19 hits over 27 innings pitched, and tallied 24 strikeouts.

Senior Lexie Elkins leads the Cajuns at the plate. The senior sits at the top of the NCAA in four statistical categories. She is number one in: Batting average (0.538), home runs per game (0.59), slugging percentage (1.263), and on base percentage (0.648). The Ragin’ Cajuns are first in Sun Belt standings, with a 10-1 league record.

Big West Softball

Missy Taukeiaho and Christina Clermont helped their teams open up Big West play on positive notes, and garnered the softball weekly awards.

Taukeiaho Hits Two Homers Against UC Riverside

Cal State Fullerton senior Missy Taukeiaho (Rancho Cucamonga, Washington) hit .625 with two home runs and seven RBI in a series sweep of UC Riverside, and collected her fourth career Big West Softball Field Player of the Week award.

The third baseman accounted for 13 of Fullerton’s 23 runs in the three wins over the Highlanders.  The Titans have now won 19 of their last 23 contests.  Taukeiaho crossed the plate six times in addition to her seven RBIs.

Taukeiaho doubled and homered in CSF’s 9-1 mercy-rule victory in the series opener.  She hit a solo shot in the first inning, finishing the game 2-for-2 with two walks,  three runs scored and two RBIs.

In a narrow 2-1 win in game two, Taukeiaho smacked a run-scoring double and scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the first frame.

She belted her first grand slam of the season to blow open Sunday’s series finale, completing the day 2-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBIs in a 12-2 triumph.  Taukeiaho finished the week with a .571 on-base percentage and 1.182 slugging percentage.

Others nominated: Taylor Glover (CSUN); Nichole Fry (Long Beach State); Ashley Lotoszynski (UC Davis); Melanie Menor (UC Santa Barbara); Tayana Mata (Hawai‘i)

Clermont Tallies Two Wins, Save In Big Week

Earning the first Big West Softball Pitcher of the Week award this season, and the fifth of her career, Long Beach State junior Christina Clermont (Carlsbad, Calif./Syracuse) picked up two wins and a save in the circle.

Clermont posted a 1.29 ERA in four appearances, with just five walks and 24 strikeouts spanning 21.2 innings of action.  She went 2-1 with three complete games and her second save of the season.

She began the week with a complete game 11-strikeout performance against Loyola Marymount.  Clermont then appeared in all three games of the CSUN series, with the Beach winning two of the three meetings.

She took the hard luck 2-1 extra inning loss in the opener, lasting 7.2 innings and allowing just six hits and a walk with five strikeouts.  Clermont preserved a 3-2, game two victory, shutting the door on the Matadors in the seventh.

In the rubber game, Clermont hurled a two-hit shutout for her third complete game performance of the week.  She issued just one free pass and struck out seven.

Others nominated: Desiree Ybarra (Cal State Fullerton); Daphne Pofek (CSUN); Leah Munden (UC Davis); Ashley Ludlow (UC Santa Barbara); Brittany Hitchcock (Hawai‘i) – See more at: http://www.bigwest.org//story.asp?story_id=19049#sthash.09ZekRDg.dpuf

CAA Softball

RICHMOND, Va. (April 4, 2016) – The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) announced on Monday its latest weekly award winners in softball. Delaware sophomore Mariah Kondravy and Drexel senior Paula Ueno were both named Player of the Week, while James Madison’s Megan Good and Elon’s Erica Serafini were tabbed Pitcher and Rookie of the Week, respectively.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
Mariah Kondravy • Delaware
So. | UTIL | Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty

Kondravy paced the Blue Hens over a 5-0 week by batting .500 (9-for-18) and recording at least one hit in every game. The sophomore started the week strong with five hits, including two doubles and one homer, in a doubleheader sweep of Morgan State and then chipped in four hits and four runs in a weekend three-game sweep against Drexel. In all, Kondravy scored seven runs and drove in five of her own as UD upped its conference record to 4-2.

Paula Ueno • Drexel
Sr. | INF | Sao Paolo, Brazil/Escola Estadual Professor Raul Brazil

Ueno was a bright spot for the Dragons despite a 1-5 showing last week. The senior, who becomes the first Drexel player this year to earn weekly CAA honors, batted .684 after an efficient, 13-for-19 effort from the plate. Ueno did not strikeout last week and only failed to record a hit in one game, in which she had just two at-bats. The Brazil native had a pair of 4-for-4 performances against UD – in Game 1 and Game 3 – and totaled six RBI overall for the week. For the year, she leads the Dragons with a .419 average, 44 hits, 10 doubles and 23 RBI.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Megan Good • No. 7 James Madison
So. | P/INF | Mount Sidney, Va./Fort Defiance

Good picked up right where she left off, grabbing her second consecutive weekly pitching nod and fourth of the season. The righty was credited with four wins in the circle for the No. 7 Dukes over 22.0 innings of work, while allowing just two runs. She struck out 33 batters, tossed two complete games, walked two batters total and moved her season ERA down to 0.93. Good began the week allowing two hits and fanning 11 batters in a 1-0 win at UVA and helped herself, too, driving in the lone run at the plate. Over a three-game sweep of Towson, she struck out 22 batters, twice held the Tigers to just one hit and limited the visitors to a .115 average. At the plate versus TU, the righty had two hits, but both did damage – a two-run homer and a solo home run.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
Erica Serafini • Elon
Fr. | INF/OF | Tampa, Fla./Steinbrenner

Serafini became the third different Elon freshman to pick up the weekly CAA rookie award this season. The Phoenix played three times over the weekend against the College of Charleston and the Tampa native played a vital role in the 2-1 series win, collecting four hits in eight at-bats, paired with four runs and three RBI. In Game 1 of the series, the righty went 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, three runs scored and a clutch three-run homer that broke a 1-1 tie. It was also her first career home run. In Game 2, Serafini added two more hits and one more run as a the Phoenix collected a doubleheader sweep.

Conference USA Softball

IRVING – After the completion of a second-straight weekend of inter-division play, the league office has selected three student-athletes to receive Conference USA softball weekly awards for April 4. FIU’s AJ Belans earns the team’s second Player of the Week honor this season, after slugging the Panthers to its first C-USA road sweep since 2014. Florida Atlantic’s Kylee Hanson and UAB’s Cara Goodwin are Co-Pitchers of the Week after both aces led their respective squads to series victories over the weekend.

C-USA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
AJ BELANS | FIU | SO. | HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA
Belans led the Panthers to a sweep of North Texas, the program’s first road sweep in conference play since the final series of the 2014 campaign. The sophomore drove in twice as many runs, alone, as the Mean Green did during the weekend, knocking in eight RBI in the three-game set. In Sunday’s 12-3 victory, Belans set career highs with a 4-for-4 day and six RBI, including a pair of home run blasts. On the weekend, the Hollywood, Florida-native went 7-for-10 (.700) with a 1.600 slugging percentage that included three total round-trippers, three runs scored and no strikeouts. After reaching base safely in eight consecutive games, Belans currently sits at second on the FIU squad in HR (seven) and RBI (31). This is the sophomore’s first career weekly award, and second for the Panthers in 2016 as Stephanie Texeira earned the same honor on Feb. 29.

C-USA CO-PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
KYLEE HANSON | FLORIDA ATLANTIC | JR. | JUPITER, FLORIDA
Hanson, C-USA’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year, has lived up to the tag all season long and continued her impressive performance over the weekend against Louisiana Tech. The junior ace led the Owls to a series victory, personally earning each of the two victories necessary to seal the series. On Saturday, Hanson tossed her 14th complete game and ninth shutout of the season in a 6-0 win over the Lady Techsters, only allowing one hit while facing just two batters over the minimum in the contest. On Sunday, the Jupiter, Florida-native went the distance once again, showing true endurance in a 2-1 eight-inning victory. Hanson once again held the Techsters to just one hit, striking out 12 in the process. On the weekend, the junior sensation went 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA, and only two hits, one earned run allowed and 18 strikeouts in 15.0 total innings pitched. This is Hanson’s fourth award of the season and seventh in her career.

CARA GOODWIN | UAB | JR. | CULLMAN, ALABAMA
Goodwin continued the impressive turnaround of a UAB pitching staff that somewhat struggled early in the season, earning the Blazers their third-straight weekly honor and second-straight pitching award after a solid week of outings. In three appearances in the circle on the week, the junior tossed 16.1 total innings, earning two victories and save by only allowing six total hits, two total runs and striking out 14. Her 0.86 ERA on the week included a gutsy performance against SEC-power (RV) Mississippi State, where Goodwin no-hit the Bulldogs for 2.1 to earn her first save of the year. During the weekend series with league-rival Marshall, the Cullman, Alabama-native put together two complete-game outings to seal up the Blazers’ third-consecutive C-USA series victory, a feat last accomplished by the squad in 2014. This is the junior’s second career weekly honor, as she earned her first on March 2 during the 2015 season.

AAC Softball

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly softball honors, for the week ending April 3.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jodi Edmiston • OF • Sr. • Tulsa • Haskell, Okla.

Edmiston has earned Player of the Week honors after she hit .636 with seven RBIs and six runs scored to lead Tulsa to a 3-1 record last week, including a weekend sweep of East Carolina. She went 7-for-11 at the plate, with a double, a triple, a .636 on-base percentage, a .909 slugging percentage and two stolen bases. The senior went 3-for-3 with a triple, four RBIs and two runs in Friday’s series opener against East Carolina. On Saturday, she was 1-for-3 with two runs scored, and then drove in three runs and scored a run on Sunday.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Shelby Turnier • Sr. • UCF • Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Turnier has been named Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season, after throwing a complete-game shutout win against UConn on Friday. The senior allowed four hits, two walks and no runs, while striking out 10 batters. The game marked her fourth double-digit strikeout game this season, and brought her career total to 744 strikeouts. With the win, Turnier posted her 21st career shutout and took sole possession of third place on UCF’s all-time shutout leaderboard. She also reached 70 victories as a Knight, and is just eight away from tying the program record at 78. The Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., native led UCF to its third-straight win in American Athletic Conference openers, and gave head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie her 800th career victory.

Southern Softball

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Samford’s Megan Dowdy and Mollie Hanson have nabbed Southern Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week honors, respectively, for games played March 28-April 3, the league office announced Monday. This marks the Bulldogs’ second straight sweep of the league’s weekly softball awards.

Dowdy claimed player of the week distinction by going 9-for-14 (.643) with 6 RBIs at the dish as Samford notched a 3-1 record for the week, including a home sweep of conference foe Chattanooga. The senior outfielder tallied multiple hits in all four games. Dowdy recorded a single and a double with a pair of RBIs in the Bulldogs’ narrow 5-4 loss at Ole Miss on Tuesday before adding two more two-hit efforts in a doubleheader against the Mocs on Saturday. In game one, she provided a bases-clearing triple to lift the Bulldogs to a 10-0 rout. Dowdy concluded the week Sunday with a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate, helping Samford to its first ever three-game series sweep of UTC.

Hanson, meanwhile, earned her second consecutive pitcher of the week award after notching her second three-game series sweep of a SoCon opponent in a row. The Dothan, Ala., native allowed only nine hits in 16 innings of work and registered a 2.19 ERA across the three contests. Hanson’s best performance came in the first half of Saturday’s doubleheader, when she allowed two hits and shut out the Mocs in fiving innings in the circle. The right-hander added four innings of one-run relief later in the day for her second win and closed out her series sweep by fanning six UTC batters in seven innings on Sunday. Hanson totaled 10 strikeouts, walked only three batters and limited the Mocs to a .164 batting average in her three appearances.

College of Charleston is the last SoCon team to record consecutive sweeps of the league’s weekly softball awards. The Cougars achieved the feat at the beginning of the 2004 season.

Atlantic Sun Softball

MACON, Ga. – Lipscomb seniors led the way for the Lady Bisons with a weekend series win over FGCU in Nashville, earning Atlantic Sun Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week accolades for Brittany Elmore and Kelly Young respectively, announced Monday by the league office.

Elmore was steady from the leadoff position for Lipscomb in five games on the week, recording at least one hit in every contest. The Tennessee native was able to record two hits in three games, twice vs. FGCU and once vs. #17 Tennessee, while stealing base three times on the week. The senior boasted a .421 average on the week and scored four runs for the Lady Bisons against the Eagles.

Kelly Young was a dominant force in the pitching circle for Lipscomb, pitching 16.1 innings in three game appearances for the Bisons. Young won two games for the home team against FGCU, both complete games, boasting a 0.58 ERA in the process. In the senior’s 16.1 innings, she struck out 17 batters, increasing her total to 135 on the season.

Atlantic Sun Softball Player of the Week – April 4, 2016
Brittany Elmore, Lipscomb
Senior | Infielder/Outfielder | Mount Juliet, Tenn. | Elementary Education
– Second Career Atlantic Sun Player of the Week honor
– Recorded at least one hit in all five games this week
– Recorded two hits in three contests, twice vs. FGCU
– Stole three bases from the leadoff spot for the Bisons
– Batted .421 on the week, now at .344 on the season
– Scored four runs in Lipscomb’s two wins vs. FGCU

Other Nominees: Louie Ross, FGCU; Rachel Dennis, Kennesaw State; Ashley Niesman, North Florida; Ashly Smith, Stetson

Atlantic Sun Softball Pitcher the Week – April 4, 2016
Kelly Young, Lipscomb
Senior | Madison, Miss. | Exercise Science
– Fifth Career Atlantic Sun Player of the Week honor
– Won two games in the weekend A-Sun series vs. FGCU
– Both victories were complete games with a 0.58 ERA
– Threw 16.1 innings in five games on the week
– Struck out a total of 17 batters allowing just five runs
– Has thrown 135 K’s this year, second most in the A-Sun

Other Nominees: Riley Randolph, FGCU; Logan Green, North Florida

WAC Softball

DENVER – NM State’s Tatum Reedy and Missouri-Kansas City’s Katie Kelley have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for March 28-April 3. This is the first-ever honor for Reedy and the third of the season (one hitter, two pitcher) and seventh of her career (four hitter, three pitcher) for Kelley.

Reedy, a senior catcher from Goodyear, Ariz., hit .625 (5-of-8) with four runs scored, a pair of home runs and two RBIs in a WAC series sweep of Seattle U last week. She posted a 1.375 slugging percentage and a .625 on-base percentage. In the series opener last Friday, Reedy had two home runs as part of a 10-run fourth inning.

Kelley, a senior from Coweta, Okla., went 2-0 and made pitching appearances in all three games last week to lead UMKC to a series win at Grand Canyon. In the second game of the series against the Lopes, a team that entered the week with a 42 RPI and led the WAC in nearly every offensive category, she earned a complete-game win, allowing five earned runs while striking out five. She also picked up the win in the eight-inning series finale, pitching 2.2 innings of relief without allowing an earned run.

Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: CSU Bakersfield’s Selena Gonzalez hit .364 with two runs scored, a double, two RBIs and five walks … Camree Wartman of Grand Canyon hit .600 with a pair of doubles … Missouri-Kansas City’s Katie Kelley of hit .417 with a double, a grand slam and four RBIs … Dana De La Torre of Utah Valley hit .444 with two home runs and three RBIs last week.

Other Pitcher of the Week nominees included: CSU Bakersfield’s Lyndsay Klimenko went 1-0 with a 0.81 ERA in three appearances last week … Kailey Regester of Grand Canyon went 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA and three strikeouts in two appearances … NM State’s Makayla McAdams went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and two strikeouts in two appearances.

WCC Softball

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Pacific has swept the West Coast Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week honors after sophomore catcher Rachel Sellers and sophomore pitcher Marissa Young took home the week eight awards, the conference office announced Monday.

The honors are the third this season for Sellers and the second for Young.

Sellers paced the Pacific offensive attack in the lone game of the week for the Tigers, going 3-3 with a double, a home run and four RBI against UC Davis. Finishing with a 1.000 batting average for the week, Sellers slugged 2.333 and also threw out a would-be base stealer at third in a dominating 9-0 shutout performance in five innings over the local rival Aggies.

Young was the only pitcher for the Tigers this week, throwing a dominating three-hit shutout over UC Davis on Tuesday. Young held batters to a .188 batting average and struck out two for her third shutout of the season.

Player of the Week Also Nominated: Ashley Thompson, BYU
Pitcher of the Week Also Nominated: McKenna Bull, BYU 

MVC Softball

MVC Player of the Week
Brooke Wyderski, Sophomore, Inf., Justice, Ill.  – Loyola
Sophomore Brooke Wyderski was outstanding, hitting .875 (7-for-8) as Loyola went 3-0 last week. She opened the week with a 3-for-3 performance in a 9-6 win over Northern Illinois, snapping the Huskies’ 14-game winnings streak, and was terrific in both games against Missouri State over the weekend, highlighted by another 3-for-3 game that included a home run and four RBIs. For the season, Wyderski is hitting .448, slugging .897 and leading the team with nine homers and 31 RBIs.

MVC Pitcher of the Week
Nicole Newman, Sophomore, Madison, Wis. – Drake
Nicole Newman dominated in the circle in Drake’s sweep over SIU. Newman opened the series with a complete game with just one run allowed on three hits with 12 strikeouts. She followed that with a shutout of the Salukis in game two as she allowed just one hit with 13 strikeouts. In the series finale, Newman came in on relief and pitched 1.2 innings to earn her first save of the season, while striking out three. For the weekend, she went 2-0 with one save and a 0.91 ERA with two earned runs allowed with 28 strikeouts and eight walks. On the season, Newman is 14-5 with a 2.26 ERA and a MVC-leading 149 strikeouts.

MVC Newcomer of the Week
Morgan Florey, Freshman, Pitcher, Peoria, Ill. – Evansville
Evansville freshman Morgan Florey got the job done at the plate and in the circle as the Purple Aces went 2-2 this week. Pitching a total of 20 innings, Florey accumulated a 3.15 ERA. She picked up her 6th win of the season against UT Martin as she went 3 2/3 innings. She grabbed another win in the series opener at Bradley, going the full six innings, giving up just two runs and striking out seven. She also pitched 10 1/3 innings in the final two games at BU. At the plate, she was 4-9, finishing the week batting .444. Against UT Martin, Florey went 1-2 with a 2-run home run, the first of her career. She was stellar at the plate against Bradley, opening the series going 3-4 with 2 RBI, 2 walks and 2 doubles. The second game of the DH saw her go 0-1, but she got on base via three walks and scored a run. She drew two walks once again in the series finale on Sunday.

Big South Softball

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Coastal Carolina catcher Morgan Noad (Valley Forge, Pa.) has been selected as the Big South Conference Softball Player of the Week, while Longwood’s Sydney Gay (Carrollton, Va.) has been named The Crons Brand Pitcher of the Week for games played March 28-April 3, it was announced today by the conference office.

Noad led the Chanticleers offense to a 4-1 week as the senior hit .583 from the plate, slugged 1.500, tallied 10 RBI and hit a home run in three consecutive games. The senior went 3-for-3 with a home run, double and four RBI in the second game of Coastal’s doubleheader against South Carolina State on Wednesday. In the twinbill against Radford on Saturday, Noad homered in both games and posted four RBI and three runs scored as Coastal went on to split the afternoon with the Highlanders. After her third home run, Noad was walked three times and singled once in Sunday’s 5-4 win over Radford. Noad is now one home run away from tying the Big South all-time record of 67, set by former Longwood catcher Megan Baltzell.

Gay went 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA in 12.1 innings to help Longwood attain a 5-0 record last week. In the Lancers’ second game of their doubleheader against East Carolina, she surrendered just one earned run and recorded eight strikeouts as Longwood defeated ECU, 6-2. Gay went on to pitch a complete game, 1-0 shutout in game one of Longwood’s doubleheader against Winthrop on Saturday. The freshman right-hander had nine strikeouts, a string of 6.1 hitless innings and lowered her ERA to a conference-best 2.05 for the season.

MAC Softball

MAC East Player of the Week:
Michaela Schlattman / Miami / Shortstop
Fr. / Plainfield, Ill. / Plainfield
Schlattman led an offensively explosion by Miami last week that saw the RedHawks score 34 runs in five games. Schlattman herself drove in eight of those runs and scored six, finishing with a .467 batting average on the week. After drawing six walks, she had an incredible on base percentage of .619. Schlattman had three doubles and two home runs, giving her a slugging percentage of 1.067.

Schlattman went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored in Miami’s 4-2 win over Wright State on Tuesday. Her three-run home run ultimately proved to be the game-winning hit.

In the RedHawks’ 10 inning win over Toledo on Friday, she was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored. She drove in three more with another three-run home run in the wild 13-10 loss in the nightcap.

Finally in the series finale against the Rockets on Saturday, Toledo started to intentionally walk her. She went 1-for-2 with one run scored and three walks.

Schlattman is now hitting .340 with nine home runs and 23 RBIs, which is impressive considering she is driving them in despite hitting from the leadoff position. Her nine home runs ties her for the second most single season in Miami history.

MAC East Pitcher of the Week:
Amber Logemann / Miami / Pitcher
Sr. / Earlham, Iowa / Earlham
Logemann led Miami to victories in all three of her starts this week. She gave up only 15 hits in 22.0 innings pitched for an opponent batting average of .192. She struck out 19 and gave up only four earned runs in those three games.

Against Wright State on Tuesday, Logemann allowed only one run on two hits to earn the victory. She struck out five.

Logemann proved to be an ironwomen in the opener against Toledo on Friday. She went all 10 innings, throwing 171 pitches. She gave up three earned runs and struck out seven.

Despite facing cold weather and a wind conducive to giving up home runs, Logemann held Toledo in check on Saturday, allowing only one unearned run in a complete game 12-1 victory on Saturday. She gave up four hits and struck out seven.

Logemann is now 13-6 on the season with a 2.76 ERA. She is 4-0 in the MAC with a 1.63 ERA.

MAC West Player of the Week:
Emily Naegele / Northern Illinois / Catcher
Sr. / Oak Forest, Ill. / Oak Forest
Emily Naegele had yet another solid week for the Northern Illinois University Softball team. She went 4-for-10 from the plate (.400), with all four of those hits being a home run for an impressive 1.600 slugging percentage. By the end of the week, she had earned the respect of her opponent, as Kent State walked her four times, three intentionally, in the series finale. She had a team-high .600 on base percentage as she reached base nine times. Five of those via the base on balls. The Oak Forest native tallied nine RBIs on the week, helped by three multi-RBI games. She began her week by hitting a grand slam in a 9-6 setback to Loyola and belted three home runs in a doubleheader with Kent State. Naegele hit two home runs in the series opener, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored as NIU posted a 4-1 victory over the Golden Flashes. In the nightcap, she went 1-for-4 with two RBIs as she hit her third home run of the day in a 7-5 loss to Kent State. Kent State took the bat out of her hands in the series finale, walking the Huskie senior four times, three intentionally as NIU fell, 4-3.

MAC West Pitcher of the Week:
Nicole Steinbach / Ball State / Pitcher
Sr. / Merrillville, Ind. / Andrean
Senior pitcher Nicole Steinbach played a key role in the Cardinals’ three-game series sweep of visiting Ohio this past weekend, earning two complete game victories and a save in the circle for Ball State.

In the series opener Friday, Steinbach turned in one of her most dominating performance of the year, chalking up a season-high nine strikeouts to guide Ball State to a 2-1 victory over Ohio in the team’s home opener. Going toe-to-toe with the MAC’s leading strikeout pitcher in Bobcats redshirt junior Savannah Jo Dorsey, Steinbach held the edge in the circle by surrendering just four hits and issuing only one walk to limit Ohio to one run. Steinbach’s nine strikeouts, three of which caught batters looking, were one more than Dorsey who entered the contest with a MAC-leading 186 strikeouts on the year.

In Saturday’s doubleheader, Steinbach carried over the momentum from her strong performance in Friday’s win, surrendering just five hits and a pair of earned runs to help the Cardinals grit out a hard-fought, 3-2 victory in the opener. She then closed the day by earning her program-record ninth career save to help the hosts hold on for an 8-6 victory in the nightcap. Steinbach entered the game with a pair of runners on base and no outs in the top of the seventh, and bookended a RBI squeeze play with a pair of strikeouts to lockdown the win.

Atlantic 10 Softball

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Atlantic 10 Conference has named Fordham sophomore Madison Shaw and Massachusetts sophomore Meg Colleran the Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. Dayton’s Jessica Gilliam and Fordham’s Jessica Hughes earned Co-Rookie of the Week honors. The awards were for games played Mar. 28-April 3.

Shaw, a native of Raynham, Mass., batted .538 (7-for-13) with two home runs and seven RBI in a 4-0 week for Fordham. Shaw recorded a base hit and scored a run in all four contests along with picking up a stolen base on Sunday. Both of Shaw’s home runs came on Saturday during a doubleheader sweep at Saint Joseph’s. Against SJU on Saturday, Shaw was 5-for-5 at the plate with the two home runs and five RBI. She recorded two additional RBI in Fordham’s 12-4 win on Sunday.

Colleran posted a record of 2-0 on the week with an ERA of 0.00 over 12.0 innings of work. The North Attleboro, Mass., native allowed just six hits over the two games and struck out six George Mason batters. In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Mason, Colleran allowed only base hit over five innings of work in the Minutewomen’s 8-0 victory.

Gilliam tossed a complete game, three-hit shutout against Morehead State earlier this week. The Confier, Colo. native did not walk a batter and struck out a career-high seven batters in UD’s 1-0 victory over MSU. The performance dropped the freshman’s season ERA to 2.87, putting her in the Top 10 for ERA in the Atlantic 10.

Hughes helped lead Fordham to four victories this past week, batting .462 (6-for-13) with six runs scored and six stolen bases. The freshman walked twice against Iona, was hit by a pitch, and swiped three bases in the contest. During the Saturday doubleheader against Saint Joseph’s, Hughes hit 5-of-7 with a walk, recorded two more stolen bases, and five runs scored.

Big East Softball

NEW YORK – Villanova tore through the competition last week to win six straight contests, including a series sweep of preseason coaches’ poll favorite St. John’s. The triumphs bring Head Coach Maria DiBernardi to over 800 wins for her career.  Leading the way for the Wildcats was Dana Morris and Kate Poppe, who were named BIG EAST Player of the Week and BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week respectively, the league announced on Monday.

BIG EAST Player of the Week
Dana Morris, Villanova, So., INF
Morris was a force at the plate all week, batting for a .400 average while recording 12 RBI’s and seven runs. Against Drexel, the sophomore went 2-for-3 with two home runs and five RBI. She recorded a hit in all three games against the Red Storm, tallying five RBIs to go along with two doubles and a long ball.

BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
Kate Poppe, Villanova, Sr.
Poppe was dominant in the pitchers’ circle throughout the entire week, going 5-0 with 30 strikeouts and a 0.83 ERA. Over 25.1 innings the senior allowed just three runs, all in the Wildcats’ second game against St. John’s. She struck out 15 Red Storm batters, nine in the final game of the series. Poppe ranks second in the nation among active career-leaders with 897 K’s.

Summit League Softball

ELMHURST, Ill. – Omaha infielder Sydney Hames and North Dakota State shortstop Logan Moreland were named Summit League Players of the Week for their performances during the week of March 28-April 3.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
SYDNEY HAMES, OMAHA
Sr.  // IF // Bennington, Neb.

• Named Summit League Player of the Week for the second time in her career and second time this season
• Hit .700 (7-for-10) over the weekend, helping Omaha to a three-game series sweep at Fort Wayne
• In the series opener, she went 4-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored
• Added another home run in game two of the series along with two RBI and three runs scored
• Finished the week with an .800 on-base percentage and 1.700 slugging percentage along with three home runs, seven RBI without striking out
• Hames now ranks first in The Summit League in home runs (11) and RBI (32)

LOGAN MORELAND, NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Sr.  // SS // Woodland, Calif.

• Named Summit League Player of the Week for the first time in her career
• Hit .667 (8-for-12) in a Bison sweep at IUPUI over the weekend
• Knocked three home runs, driving in nine and scoring seven times, picking up multiple hits in all three wins
• Posted a .692 on-base percentage and 1.417 slugging percentage while swiping four bases in three games
• On a current eight-game hitting streak and is No. 2 in The Summit League with a .393 batting average

Southland Softball

FRISCO, Texas – Stephen F. Austin junior Brittany Lewis was selected Southland Conference Softball Hitter of the Week while Nicholls senior Hannah Haydel was named pitcher of the week, the league office announced Tuesday.

Hitter of the Week – Brittany Lewis, Stephen F. Austin
Lewis helped Stephen F. Austin pick up a 2-1 series win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at home with another big weekend at the plate. The Allen, Texas (Lovejoy H.S.), native batted .714 during the three-game set and reached base safely in seven of nine at-bats overall for a .778 on-base percentage. Lewis went a perfect 3-for-3 with one double and one home run in the series opener, driving in all four of the Ladyjacks’ runs in a 4-2 victory.

Honorable Mention: Dani Allen, Sam Houston State; Danielle Phillips, Nicholls; Tori Yanitor, McNeese State; Brynn Baca, Lamar.

Pitcher of the Week – Hannah Haydel, Nicholls
Haydel continued her impressive senior campaign with a 2-0 weekend against Central Arkansas, helping Nicholls extend its winning streak in conference play to eight games. The Ama, La. (Hahnville H.S.), native pitched all 10 innings in the Colonels’ opening 2-1 victory over the Bears, scattering just six hits on the night. UCA’s lone run against Haydel for the series came in the 10th inning when the Bears plated the international tiebreaker runner on a sacrifice fly. For the series, Haydel had a 0.00 ERA as she allowed just nine hits in 15-plus innings. She currently leads the Southland in ERA (1.35) and opponent batting average (.182).

Honorable Mention: Lindsey McLeod, Sam Houston State; Emily Vincent, McNeese State.

Each school’s sports information director nominates and votes for the players of the week, though is not permitted to vote for his or her own player. To receive honorable mention, a student-athlete must receive votes from 25 percent of the Southland sports information directors.

American East Softball

BOSTON  – League play rolled on for six America East softball programs last weekend. Albany and Binghamton swept three-game sets from UMass Lowell and UMBC, respectively, while Maine and Stony Brook split a pair of games. Through two weeks, the Bearcats (6-0) and Great Danes (5-0) sit atop the conference standings. Read about this week’s award winners below:

Player of the Week
Griffin McIver, Binghamton – Sr., DP, Endicott, N.Y.

• Hit .545/.583/1.182 in leading Binghamton to a 7-0 week.
• Belted four home runs and two doubles.
• Drove in 15 runs and scored 11.

Pitcher & Rookie of the Week
Chelsea Verdolivo, Albany – Fr., P, McKinney, Texas

• Went 2-0 while surrendering just one earned run in 12 1/3 innings of work last week.
• Allowed just three baserunners all week, giving up two hits and a walk.
• Fired a perfect game against UMass Lowell on Saturday.
• Struck out 11.

Big Sky Softball

OGDEN, Utah (April 4, 2016) – Weber State’s Kirtlyn Bohling picked up this week’s Big Sky Conference Pitcher of the Week honor after leading the Wildcats to a 3-0 weekend in conference play. Sacramento State’s Sasha Margulies was named Player of the Week after boasting strong offensive numbers in four games last week.

Margulies, a senior designated player from San Diego, Calif., helped lead the Hornets to a 2-2 record last week that included two crucial conference wins at Montana. In four games, Margulies batted .615 (8-13) with two home runs, five RBIs, a 1.077 slugging percentage, a .643 on-base percentage and five runs scored. She hit safely in all four contests with 14 total bases. She hit at a .600 clip with runners in scoring position and scored at least one run and one RBI in all four games. She had multiple hits in three games last week.

In Wednesday’s 6-1 loss at California, Margulies went 2-4 with a homer against a Golden Bears team that has been ranked as high as 21^st this season. In Saturday’s series-clinching win at Montana, she went 3-4 with two runs and a RBI to help lead the Hornets to an 11-3 victory.

Bohling went 2-0 over the weekend in two five-inning games against Northern Colorado. The Salem, Utah native had a 0.70 ERA with just three walks and four strikeouts in her two appearances. In game one of the three-game series against UNC, she allowed just three hits and one earned run. She allowed just two walks and picked up a strikeout in Saturday’s five-inning win.

Bohling is now 13-3 on the season with a 2.19 ERA in 112 innings of action. She has posted 10 complete games and leads the conference in four statistical categories.

NEC Softball

NEC SOFTBALL CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Lauren Hackett, Robert Morris
Sr., IF, Glenshaw, PA/Shaler Area
Hackett provided the offensive spark for the Colonials in a 4-2 week, hitting .529 with two homers, seven RBI and 10 runs scored. In a 3-2 win in the opener of a doubleheader against Kent State last Wednesday, Hackett belted the game-tying homer in the fourth inning and drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly one inning later. In the nightcap, the Glenshaw, PA native hit a walk-off, three-run homer to complete the sweep and cap off a career-high five-RBI afternoon in the 14-11 victory. Hackett also helped the Colonials to a pair of 6-5 wins over Wagner on Saturday by reaching base four times and scoring four runs in the sweep.

Hayley Norton, Saint Francis U
Fr., OF, Spring Grove, PA/Spring Grove
Norton continued her torrid stretch at the plate, hitting .500 with a double, three homers, seven runs and seven RBIs as the Red Flash split twinbills with Marshall and LIU Brooklyn before a sweep of Wagner on Sunday. She also slugged 1.056 for the week. The Spring Grove, PA product blasted a three-run homer to give SFU the 3-1 advantage on the way to a 10-2 victory in the opener against Wagner. In the nightcap, Norton went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs scord and another three run dinger. She also homered against LIU Brooklyn on Saturday. The freshman has a nine-game hitting streak and her ten homers ties her for second on the school’s all-time single-season list.

Emily Orosco, Sacred Heart
Fr., P, Camarillo, CA/Adolfo Camarillo
Orosco allowed just one run and posted a 0.64 ERA in a pair of complete-game victories for the Pioneers last week. She tossed a three-hitter in a 3-1 win over UMass Lowell last Wednesday, tying her career-high with 12 strikeouts. In the back end of a doubleheader against Bryant on Saturday, the freshman limited the Bulldogs to five hits while fanning eight batters in a 1-0 shutout win. Orosco lifted her record to 4-3 on the year, while lowering her ERA to 1.54. She has struck out 77 batters in 59 innings pitched this season.

Emily Orosco, Sacred Heart
Fr., P, Camarillo, CA/Adolfo Camarillo
Orosco allowed just one run and posted a 0.64 ERA in a pair of complete-game victories for the Pioneers last week. She tossed a three-hitter in a 3-1 win over UMass Lowell last Wednesday, tying her career-high with 12 strikeouts. In the back end of a doubleheader against Bryant on Saturday, the freshman limited the Bulldogs to five hits while fanning eight batters in a 1-0 shutout win. Orosco lifted her record to 4-3 on the year, while lowering her ERA to 1.54. She has struck out 77 batters in 59 innings pitched this season.

MAAC Softball

Player of the Week

Briana Matazinsky, Manhattan

So., P/OF, 5-8, Valley Falls, NY/ Tamarac

Matazinsky went 4-for-10 in three games last week, extending her hitting streak to 11 straight.  She had a two-run double in the 6-3 home win over Stony Brook on Wednesday, then ripped an RBI double and later scored in game one of the twinbill at Siena on Saturday.  Matazinsky also earned the victory in that contest after tossing a complete game.  In game two against the Saints, she roped another double (her fourth straight game with a two-base hit) to go along with a single and a run scored.  Matazinsky slugged .700 in the three wins.

Pitcher of the Week

Amanda Riley, Monmouh

So., P, 5-11, Tracy, CA/ John C. Kimball

Riley was downright dominant in the circle this week, going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched. She allowed only three baserunners on one hit and two hit-by-pitches, and never more than one runner in a single inning. She struck out five Saint Joseph’s batters in 2.1 no-hit innings pitched of relief to earn the victory before tossing a complete-game shutout with a career-high 10 strikeouts in an abbreviated, mercy-rule shortened contest against Rider. With the 15-strikeout week, she now has more K’s (71) than innings pitched (68) on the season. She’s 5-2 with a 2.78 ERA on the year, limiting the opposition to a .197 batting average.  With 10 scoreless inning, Monmouth’s pitching staff, which already ranked 48^th in the nation in ERA as of March 31, lowered its staff ERA to 2.47.

Rookie of the Week

Casey Page, Marist

Fr., OF, 5-5, Marietta, GA/ North Cobb

Page hit .833 (5-for-6) and drove in a team-leading six runs as Marist went 4-0 this past week. She also had two stolen bases and two runs scored. In the first game of a doubleheader against Cornell on March 30, Page went 2-for-2 with two runs scored, two RBIs and a stolen base. In the first game of a doubleheader against Niagara on April 2, she went 3-for-3 with four RBIs, a double, a stolen base and an outfield assist. Against Niagara, Page had an assist which resulted in a runner being thrown out at the plate while Marist was trailing 3-1. In the bottom half of the inning, her RBI single cut the Red Foxes’ deficit to 3-2. The following inning, she came to the plate with the bases loaded, two outs, and the score tied at three. Her double cleared the bases, and gave Marist the lead for good in a 6-3 victory.

MEAC Softball

NORFOLK, Va. — Florida A&M’s Amber Fullwood was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Player of the Week, the conference announced today. Bethune-Cookman’s Annie Bakenhus earned Rookie of the Week, while teammate Sabrina Anguiano was named Pitcher of the Week.

Fullwood (3B/P, 5-5, Jr., Land O’ Lakes, Fla.) registered a .875 batting average in three wins over South Carolina State. She finished with seven hits, including one home run, with five runs and seven runs batted in. Fullwood also pitched a complete game, allowing four runs on five hits, in a 16-4 victory over South Carolina State.

Bakenhus (OF, 5-5, Fr., Yucaipa, Calif.) went 8-for-13, in three wins against North Carolina A&T State, with four runs, two RBIs and two doubles. She also had three putouts and three stolen bases in the series.

Anguiano (P, 5-5, Jr., Hacienda Heights, Calif.) went 2-0 and recorded a 1.27 ERA in the series sweep of North Carolina A&T State. She allowed just three runs in 11.0 innings and tallied two strikeouts.

SWAC Softball

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Mississippi Valley State’s Ikeyia Alexander and Alabama State’s Maddie Phelps have been recognized by the Southwestern Athletic Conference as Softball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week for their outstanding performance in competition, March 27-April 3.

Hitter of the Week
Ikeyia Alexander
Mississippi Valley State
INF | 5-7 | R-So. | Oakland, Calif.

Alexander was 6-for-8 with four home runs in helping to power the Devilettes to a three-game sweep over divisional foe Alabama A&M. She accounted for eight RBI and scored seven runs as well. Alexander’s best stat line was during a 7-1 win over the Lady Bulldogs, where she went 2-for-4 with two homers, one of them being a two-run shot. After her performance this weekend, Alexander is now tied for the conference lead in home runs with eight, and nearly half of her total hits (17) thus far this season have cleared the fence.

Pitcher of the Week
Maddie Phelps
Alabama State
6-0 | Sr. | Grass Valley, Calif.

Phelps earned three wins and a save this past week against Mercer and at SWAC rival Alcorn State en route to improving to a league-best 11 victories against seven losses. In 17 innings pitched, Phelps allowed six earned runs and struck out 15 batters. Her outings lowered her season ERA to 2.95, a figure which also paces the conference. On March 30, she came on in relief and pitched three innings to pick the win against Mercer. She followed that up by allowing just one run on four hits and struck out eight in a 9-1 win at Alcorn State on Saturday. On Sunday, Phelps pitched a complete game and allowed just one run on six hits and struck out three for another victory. This is the third Pitcher of the Week honor for the senior this season.