SEC Softball
Player of the Week
Sahvanna Jaquish • LSU
Junior • DP/UT • Highland, Calif.
Jaquish had 10 RBIs in four wins for LSU last week, helping the team to its second-straight SEC series sweep as she finished the week tied in hits with eight. She had multiple hits in three of the four contests, driving in three RBIs in three of the four games in wins over McNeese State and Arkansas. Jaquish finished the week with a .938 slugging percentage, as five of her eight hits were for extra bases as she had a double in all four games, having a double and home run in the same game in the opener against the Razorbacks.
Pitcher of the Week
Madi Osias • Ole Miss
Senior • RHP • Tustin, Calif.
Osias became the Rebels’ single-season wins leader this past week, picking up wins No. 18 and 19 in the circle. In both of her appearances, she went the distance, pitching two shutouts with just seven combined hits allowed and holding opponents to just a .152 average. In Wednesday’s midweek tilt vs. UAB, Osias allowed just two hits, struck out five and only walked two to lead the Rebels to a 5-0 shutout. In the middle game of the series at No. 14 Georgia, she recorded eight strikeouts in Ole Miss’ 1-0 victory, pitching the Bulldogs their first shutout of 2016.
Freshman of the Week
Kylan Becker • Ole Miss
RF • Miami, Fla.
Becker went 7-for-8 with two RBI against UAB and
No. 14 Georgia. In the win over UAB, she posted one of the Rebels’ three triples in the game, helping tie the school record for triples in a game. After going 2-for-2 in the opener against Georgia, Becker came back in games two and three with two clutch RBI. In the middle game, she recorded an RBI double for the only run of the game that gave the Rebels their first win over Georgia since 2003. Becker came back in the finale to also drive in the first run off an RBI single, finishing 2-for-2 in that game. She also recorded a sacrifice bunt that led to another run. Overall, Becker finished the week with a 1.250 slugging mark and an on-base percentage of .900, raising her average by 40 points to .320 on the year.
Pac-12 Softball
SAN FRANCISCO — The Pac-12 Conference office announced the softball weekly honors for play from Apr. 25-May 1. UCLA senior infielder Mysha Sataraka was named player of the week, OREGON senior LHP Cheridan Hawkins was tabbed pitcher of the week while CALIFORNIA freshman infielder Lindsay Rood was voted pitcher of the week.
Sataraka (Honolulu, Hawai’i) helped the 13th-ranked Bruins to a perfect 4-0 week, recording a walk-off, three-run homer on Friday against Arizona State and a two-run homer at No. 16 Arizona on Monday. Sataraka drove in seven runs, scored five times during the four games, walked on six occasions and had four hits, including three homers. On Monday, with the Bruins trailing 4-1 against the Wildcats, Sataraka belted a two-run homer to get UCLA to within a run. The senior continued her hot hitting on Friday, tying career highs in homers (2), hits (3) and RBI (5), including a walk-off homer in the seventh. UCLA trailed 6-3 heading into its last at-bat, but then saw four straight singles preceding a three-run homer by Sataraka to give the Bruins the 8-6 win. It was the second of her two homers in that game, as she added a two-run shot in the first inning to go with a single and a walk. This is UCLA’s 141st weekly honor.
Hawkins (Anderson, Calif.) allowed just two hits over the weekend in a pair of one-hit shutouts against No. 17 Arizona. The left-handed pitcher reached 1,000 career strikeouts in the win on Friday, becoming the first Pac-12 pitcher to reach the milestone since Arizona State’s Dallas Escobedo in 2014. She set a new Oregon career record with 32 shutouts after Sunday’s win. Hawkins is now tied for the wins record as well, as Hawkins and former Duck Jessica Moore each have 100 career victories. This weekend was the sixth time in her career that Hawkins has recorded back-to-back complete game shutouts. This is Hawkins’ third weekly award this season and 60th overall for the Oregon program.
Rood (Danville, Calif.) collected three hits in a game three times to help the Bears go 5-0, posting wins over UC Davis and a sweep of Stanford. Rood also had two hits in the first game against UC Davis to finish the week with four multi-hit games in five tries. In the Bears’ Friday win over Stanford, she went 3 for 4 with four runs scored and finished the week with a 3-for-5 performance on Sunday. This is California’s 91st weekly accolade.
Big 12 Softball
Not Published as of now, check Big 12 Softball site
ACC Softball
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – North Carolina third baseman Berlynne Delamora and Florida State third baseman Jessica Warren have been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Players of the Week, while Boston College’s Allyson Frei earned Pitcher of the Week honors.
Delamora batted .750 while leading UNC to a perfect week, reaching base in all but one plate appearance. She slugged 2.250 with two game-changing home runs and six RBIs. The Tar Heel freshman reached base in all three plate appearances against No. 18 Notre Dame, launching a three-run home run in the third inning to give UNC a 4-2 lead and help the Tar Heels win two out of three against the nationally-ranked Irish. The Hacienda Heights, California, native displayed her power yet again on Wednesday against Campbell, drilling a two-run home run in the fifth inning to give the Tar Heels back the lead, 6-5. She then added some insurance with a sixth-inning RBI single. Additionally, she was flawless in the field with six assists and two putouts at third base.
Warren earned ACC Player of the Week recognition for the second time in a row and was dominant at the plate in a perfect 4-0 week for the Seminoles. The sophomore third baseman batted .562 (9-for-16) with nine RBI and seven runs scored, along with two doubles and three home runs. The Tampa, Florida, native posted multiple hits in three of the four games on the week, including a pair of three-hit performances in an ACC series sweep of Pitt on April 30-May 1. For the week, she posted a slugging percentage of 1.250 and had an on-base percentage of .611. She was perfect in 12 defensive chances and now leads the ACC with 61 runs batted in and 54 runs scored on the season.
Boston College’s Frei delivered another solid week on the mound, posting a 1.00 ERA in three appearances, with two wins, including one complete game and a shutout. She struck out 15 batters in her 14.0 innings pitched while allowing 10 hits and only two earned runs. Following her seven-inning effort in a 5-0 road win at Syracuse, the sophomore from Branchville, New Jersey, has now thrown 20.1 consecutive scoreless innings in ACC play, striking out 26 and allowing just six hits in that span.
Big Ten Softball
Player of the Week
Sierra Lawrence, Michigan
Sr., OF, Snellville, Ga. – Greater Atlanta Christian
• Guided the Wolverines to a series sweep of Penn State to remain atop the Big Ten standings
• Hit home runs in all three conference games, including the go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning in the series opener
• Recorded a .692 batting average (9-for-13), .733 on-base percentage and a 1.462 slugging percentage through four games
• Combined for a perfect 5-for-5 plate appearance in the doubleheader against the Nittany Lions on Saturday
• Earns her fourth career Player of the Week award and second this season
• Last Michigan Big Ten Player of the Week: Kelsey Susalla (April 25, 2016)
Pitcher of the Week
Sara Groenewegen, Minnesota
Jr., RHP, White Rock, B.C. – Elgin Park Secondary
• Did not allow a single hit the entire weekend, recording a 0.00 ERA with 18 strikeouts in nine innings in wins over Maryland
• Threw a complete-game no-hitter with 10 strikeouts on Friday
• Tallied eight strikeouts and had a perfect game going before departing the game in the fifth inning on Sunday
• Claims her 11th career Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honor and fifth this season
• Last Minnesota Big Ten Pitcher of the Week: Sara Groenewegen (March 28, 2016)
Freshman of the Week
Maddie Houlihan, Minnesota
1B – Plymouth, Minn. – Benilde St. Margaret’s
• Batted .857 (6-for-7) with a 2.286 slugging percentage in a series sweep of Maryland
• Recorded a pair of hits in all three games, driving in eight runs and scoring four times
• Hit a home run in each contest, helping the Gophers to three five-inning wins
• Records her third Big Ten Freshman weekly honor
• Last Minnesota Big Ten Freshman of the Week: Maddie Houlihan (April 11, 2016)
Sun Belt Softball
Community Coffee Pitcher of the Week
Devin Brown, South Alabama, Sophomore
University of South Alabama softball sophomore Devin Brown went 3-0 last week in as many appearances, holding Mississippi State to a single run at their home field on Tuesday, before tossing her third no-hitter of the season on Saturday against Kennesaw State in game one of a doubleheader and picking up a win in a relief-appearance as the Jaguars constructed a come-from behind victory in game two versus the Owls. Brown struck out 18 batters and allowed only one run on five hits in 13 innings pitched. The shutout against Kennesaw State was her 10th this year, tied for the most in a single season in program history. Brown has been named Community Coffee Pitcher of the Week five times this season, the most of any pitcher in the league.
Community Coffee Student-Athlete of the Week
Khadija Neely, Troy, Infield, Senior
Troy’s Neely tallied a series high six RBI and three home runs in the 2-1 series win over the UT Arlington Mavericks this past weekend in Arlington, Texas. Neely hit .500 and homered twice in the first game and once in the second game on Saturday and posted multiple-RBI in the first two games. She posted a 1.250 slugging percentage and a .538 on-base percentage. The Trojans’ senior third baseman finished the doubleheader on Saturday 4-for-7 with three home runs and six RBI. She had two home runs in Game 1 of the doubleheader – a solo-shot in the fifth and a two-run homer in the ninth to capture the 5-4 Trojan victory. A three-run home run in Game 2 increased Troy’s lead to 12-2 and clinched the victory in five innings. She kept her hitting streak alive in Game 3 with a single in the third and fourth innings. This is Neely’s first weekly Sun Belt honor.
Big West Softball
Paving the way to a sweep of conference foe UC Riverside, CSUN teammates Tara Kliebenstein and Daphne Pofek notched the softball weekly awards.
Kliebenstein Posts Career-High
CSUN redshirt sophomore Tara Kliebenstein (Oceanside, Calif./El Camino HS) captured Big West Softball Field Player of the Week honors as she turned in a big series against conference opponent UC Riverside.
Kliebenstein batted .444 (4-for9) with a pair of runs scored and four RBI to lead the Matadors to the series sweep, in which they outscored the Highlanders 16-3.
Playing perfect defense while patrolling three different positions around the infield, it was Kliebenstein’s bat that did the damage in the 11-1 game one victory. She smashed her second home run of the year, and added a double as part of a 3-for-4 day at the plate. She had a career-high three hits and drove in three.
Kliebenstein delivered the game-winning RBI in the game two, 3-2 triumph and drew a walk in the series sweep clinching 2-0 finale.
CSUN has won 30 games three straight seasons, the first time in program history since 1997-99.
Others nominated: Makenna Young (Cal Poly); Darian Tautalafua (Long Beach State); Alexis Carney (UC Davis); Sierra Altmeyer (UC Santa Barbara); Breanna Ojala (Hawai‘i)
Pofek Goes 3-0 In Series Sweep
The winning pitcher in all three games of a series sweep of UC Riverside, CSUN junior Daphne Pofek (Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King HS) collected the Big West Softball Pitcher of the Week nod.
Pofek threw all 21 innings with three straight complete games, posting a 1.00 ERA with just three runs and 14 hits allowed. She struck out nine total over the three contests.
Her best effort came in the series finale, a gem in which she hurled a five-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory. Pofek allowed just one run on four hits in the opener and two runs on five hits in game two.
The Highlanders managed just a .197 batting average for the series. Pofek has recorded at least two victories in four straight Big West series, helping lift CSUN to series wins over Hawai‘i, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly and UC Riverside.
Others nominated: Lindsey Chalmers (Cal Poly); Christina Clermont (Long Beach State); Justine Vela (UC Davis); Brittany Hitchcock (Hawai‘i) – See more at: http://www.bigwest.org//story.asp?story_id=19133#sthash.3nrviKO5.dpuf
CAA Softball
RICHMOND, Va. (May 2, 2016) – Towson junior Holiday Cahill was picked as the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) softball Player of the Week, Elon senior Kayla Caruso was named Pitcher of the Week and UNCW freshman Rachel Willis earned Rookie of the Week honors, the conference announced on Monday.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Holiday Cahill • Towson
Jr. | C/3B | Cypress, Calif./Cypress
Cahill is Towson’s second Player of the Week award winner this spring and the junior certainly proved her worth last week over TU’s 3-2 showing. She collected eight hits in 15 at-bats (.533 average) and smacked four homers to go along with nine RBI. In a doubleheader split with Villanova to start the week, Cahill had four hits, three of which came in a Game 2, 11-9 win, including a double and one home run. The junior saved her best performance for last in a series clinching win against Delaware on Sunday, hitting a home run in each of her three at-bats, which set a new program record for a single game. She also tied the all-time TU single-game mark with seven RBI in the eventual, 9-3 win.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Kayla Caruso • Elon
Sr. | P | Kennesaw, Ga./Harrison
Caruso shined in Saturday’s Senior Day stage, coming through for her team in a major way. The righty tossed a complete-game in a remarkable, 15-inning 5-4 win over then-No. 6 James Madison, handing the Dukes their first conference loss since 2014 while snapping Madison’s impressive 42-game CAA regular season winning streak. The Georgia native ended Saturday’s Game 1 setting a new Division I-high for the season with her 15 innings of work. Though she gave up 14 hits and four runs, Caruso struck out seven and walked just one batter. Overall, she lowered her season ERA to 2.74 and threw a ridiculous 197 pitches to help Elon grab its second-ever win over a Top-10 foe and its highest ranked victory all-time.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:
Rachel Willis • UNCW
Fr. | C/UTIL | Angler, N.C./West Johnson
Willis is the second straight UNCW Rookie of the Week honoree. The North Carolina native entered the weekend without a collegiate homer, but hit two on Saturday, one in each game, as the Seahawks swept Drexel in a doubleheader. Willis smacked her first career homer, a solo shot, in Game 1’s 5-2 extra-inning victory and then added another solo homer in a 7-2 win in the nightcap. She finishes the shortened series with five hits in eight at-bats, scored three runs and accounted for two RBI off her home runs.
Conference USA Softball
C-USA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MELISSA MARTINEZ | FLORIDA ATLANTIC | SR. | MIAMI, FLORIDA
Martinez made her final three career home games count, with a memorable performance on the weekend leading the Owls to their first regular season C-USA title and a three game sweep in the rematch of last year’s championship game. In the opening game of the pivotal series, the Miami, Florida, native exploded for a 3-for-4 day with six RBI and two doubles in a 16-1 run-rule victory over defending champ WKU. Martinez followed up the impressive perfomance with a perfect 3-for-3 game two, including two more RBI, a stolen base and a free pass on a hit-by-pitch that made a difference in the crown-clinching 5-3 victory. On the weekend, she batted .700 with a 1.100 slugging percentage and .727 on-base percentage, including 10 RBI, four doubles and two runs scored. This is the senior’s first career weekly honor.
C-USA PITCHER OF THE WEEK
KYLEE HANSON | FLORIDA ATLANTIC | JR. | JUPITER, FLORIDA
Hanson made her presence known in the circle once again this weekend, providing pivotal leadership in a three-game sweep of the Lady Toppers to avenge last year’s championship game loss. In game one against the defending champions, Hanson only allowed one run on two hits in a 16-1 five inning (4.0 IP) blowout victory. In the Sunday finale, the junior tossed her 13th complete game shutout of the season, the third-most in the program’s single-season history, while only allowing one hit and striking out 12. The two victories move the Jupiter, Fla., native’s record to 24-3, the fourth-best winning percentage in the nation currently, only behind pitchers on three nationally-ranked top ten teams (No. 2 Michigan, No. 6 James Madison and No. 7 Florida State). This is Hanson’s sixth weekly award of the season and tenth of her career.
AAC Softball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly softball honors, for the week ending May 1.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lindsey Stickrod • 1B • Jr. • Memphis • Kingston, Tenn.
Stickrod has been named Player of the Week after she led Memphis with a .462 batting average and .500 on-base percentage over four games. The junior totaled a team-high six hits on the week, as she recorded two multi-hit games with three RBIs against Tulsa. Stickrod helped lift the Tigers to a series win over the Hurricane, which put Memphis in third place in the standings with one week of conference play left. The Kingston, Tenn., native also had an RBI in Memphis’ 3-2 nonconference win over UT-Martin on Wednesday.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Christian Novak • P • So. • Memphis • Nevada, Mo.
Novak has been selected as Pitcher of the Week after she threw 11 scoreless innings over the weekend against Tulsa. The sophomore earned a complete-game win as she allowed just four hits in the Tigers’ 5-0 shutout win over the Hurricane on Saturday. On Sunday Novak made her second start in the circle, allowing just two hits in four innings, as Memphis clinched the series against the Hurricane.
Southern Conference Softball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG’s Lindsay Thomas and Samford’s Mollie Hanson have been named Southern Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for games played April 25-May 1, the league office announced Monday.
Thomas, a senior catcher for Spartans, hit .600 (9-for-15) and jacked three home runs as UNCG earned a series sweep of Chattanooga. The Irvine, Calif., native started the week by recording a hit and a run in a loss at Charlotte on Tuesday before doing most of her damage against the Mocs. Thomas kicked off the UTC series Saturday by going 3-for-4 with a walk-off homer in game one. She added a 2-for-4 performance in game two and then was 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and two RBIs in the finale on Sunday. Thomas drew two walks and only struck out once across the four contests.
Thomas leads the SoCon in batting average (.438), slugging percentage (.843), on-base percentage (.511), runs scored (50) and total bases (129). This is her second weekly honor of the season.
Hanson turned in a pair of complete-game performances for Samford in its series win over ETSU. The redshirt senior pitcher tossed 12 innings in her two appearances, allowing only one earned run for a 0.58 ERA. Hanson threw seven innings, surrendering her only earned run of the week and striking out five, in a 4-1 victory in the series-opener. She then pitched five scoreless innings in Sunday’s finale, fanning six Bucs batters and allowing two hits in a 12-0 rout. The Dothan, Ala., product limited the Bucs to a .190 batting average while in the circle.
Hanson has earned pitcher of the week accolades four times this season. She leads the league in wins (19) and ranks in the top five in ERA (2.75), opposing batting average (.243) and strikeouts (113).
Atlantic Sun Softball
MACON, Ga. – Emily Sanchez of Jacksonville and Holly McKinnon of USC Upstate dominated at the plate and circle respectively, leading their teams to weekend sweeps and the latest set of Atlantic Sun Softball weekly honors, announced Monday by the league office.
Sanchez was a reliable force at the plate for the Dolphins on a 4-1 week, recording a hit in each of the five contests played. The senior totaled seven RBIs on the week, including the game-winning two-RBI single in the eighth inning on the road at Stetson in game one. Sanchez boasted a slugging percentage of .500 and added three doubles to her credit, while maintaining a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage on defense at first base.
McKinnon amassed a nearly perfect resume in the circle for the Spartans. The junior transfer pitched a total of 25 innings on the week in four games, compiling an ERA of 0.00, allowing just six hits and two walks while striking out 25 batters. In the series finale vs. Kennesaw State on Sunday, McKinnon threw an eight inning no-hitter as USC Upstate went on to win 1-0, while in game two the Ocala, Fla. native struck out nine in a relief outing. This marks the fourth A-Sun Pitcher of the Week honor this season for McKinnon.
Atlantic Sun Softball Player of the Week – April 25, 2016
Emily Sanchez, Jacksonville
Senior | Infielder | Palmdale, Calif. | Sport Management
– Third Career Atlantic Sun Player of the Week honor, first this season
– Recorded at least one hit in each of five weekly games
– Totaled seven RBIs on a 4-1 week for the Dolphins
– Boasted a slugging percentage of .500 with three 2Bs
– Knocked in a two-RBI single in eighth inning at Stetson
– Added a 1.000 fielding percentage at first base for JU
Other Nominees: Louie Ross, FGCU; Navia Penrod, North Florida; Amy Szymanowski, USC Upstate
Atlantic Sun Softball Pitcher the Week – April 25, 2016
Holly McKinnon, USC Upstate
Junior | Pitcher | Ocala, Fla. |
– Fourth Career Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week honor
– Went 4-0 on the week with two complete games
– Compiled a 0.00 ERA in 25 innings pitched for Upstate
– Gave up just six hits, two walks while adding 25 K’s
– Completed an eight inning no-hitter Sunday vs. KSU
– Struck out a total of nine batters in relief in game two
Other Nominees: Ashley Dobson, FGCU; Victoria Brown, Jacksonville; Kelly Young, Lipscomb; Katie Beth Gordon, North Florida
WAC Softball
DENVER – Grand Canyon’s Briielle Breland and Kailey Regester have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for April 25-May 1. This is the first-ever honor for Breland and the second of the season and fourth of her career for Regester.
Breland, a sophomore outfielder from Mesa, Ariz., hit .625 (5-of-8) with one run scored, a double and three RBIs in a road sweep at CSU Bakersfield. She had a hit in each game and posted a .750 slugging percentage and a .700 on-base percentage. In Saturday’s doubleheader, Breland was perfect as she finished the day 5-for-5 with three RBIs and one run scored.
Regester, a senior from Chandler Ariz., went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA last week, picking up the win in the series finale against CSU Bakersfield. In her final collegiate outing, she allowed just three hits and pitched her second complete-game shutout of the WAC season. She finished the game with four strikeouts and held CSUB to a .136 batting average.
Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: CSU Bakersfield’s Julea Cavazos hit .455 over three games … Katie Kelley of Missouri-Kansas City hit .300 with a double, two home runs and four RBIs … NM State’s Brennalyn Nakamura hit .545 with three RBIs … Paige Bouska of Seattle U hit .583 with two RBIs … Utah Valley’s Morgan Smith hit .300 with five stolen bases over three games last week.
WCC Softball
SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Brigham Young junior shortstop Lauren Bell and San Diego junior pitcher Megan Sabbatini have been named the West Coast Conference Softball Players and Pitcher of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.
The honor is the first this season for both Bell and Sabbatini.
Bell hit .545 in BYU’s three-game series sweep at Pacific over the weekend, going 6-for-11 with five RBI and five runs scored to take home the Player of the Week nod. In the opening game, she had two RBI to lead the Cougars to a 5-3 win. In the second game, the Cougars were down 4-2 in the top of the seventh with two outs when Bell came up to bat. She hit her second home run of the season with the three-run bomb going off of the scoreboard to take the 5-4 lead and the win. To cap off the series, Bell went 3-for-5 with two runs scored as BYU took the final game 8-4, completing the series sweep. After this weekend, she is now tied for first on the team in runs with 35 and is in second for hits with 51.
Sabbatini allowed just one earned run in each of her three starts at Santa Clara over the weekend to earn her first conference Pitcher of the Week award of the season. Sabbatini finished the weekend with a 2-1 record and a 1.54 ERA in 13.2 innings pitched to go with 14 strikeouts. In Saturday’s doubleheader, Sabbatini allowed just four combined hits and two runs in nine innings to help USD win a pair of 5-1 games. In the series finale, Sabbatini allowed one earned run in 4.2 innings pitched.
Player of the Week Also Nominated: Tatum Schultz, San Diego
Pitcher of the Week Also Nominated: McKenna Bull, BYU
MVC Softball
MVC Player of the Week
Shaye Harre, Junior, Inf., Nashville, Ill. – Southern Illinois
Shaye Harre hit .571, slugged 1,000 and reached at a .667 clip in SIU’s series win over Northern Iowa over the weekend. Harre went 4-for-7 with three doubles in the series while collecting two RBIs, two walks and a stolen base, all while playing perfect defense. She reached in six of her nine plate appearances. SIU and UNI combined for six extra-base hits in the series, and Harre had half of them, hitting doubles in all three games. By drawing two walks, Harre has 22 walks drawn in 22 MVC games; the MVC hasn’t had a player average a walk per MVC game since 2003.
MVC Pitcher of the Week
Jaelen Hull, Junior, LHP, Clifton, Ill. – Bradley
Hull posted a 2-0 record and minuscule 0.38 ERA in three appearances, limiting hitters to a .103 average in 18.2 innings. She struck out 25 batters and walked just four. She opened the week with a no decision in game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Illinois State as the Braves secured their first regular-season series win against the Redbirds since 1987. Hull surrendered just two hits and one unearned run in 5.0 innings vs. Illinois State. She fanned six and walked one in the eventual 4-1 walk-off win for Bradley. Friday in the series opener against Loyola, Hull turned in the most dominating performance of her career. She struck out a career-high 12 for the most strikeouts by a Bradley pitcher in seven years and tossed a complete game one-hit shutout in a 1-0 win for the Braves. She capped the week with a near complete game effort Sunday against the Ramblers. She scattered four hits and gave up just one run, while fanning seven and walking just one in 6.2 innings of work. Hull was one batter short of another complete game effort, giving way to senior Dani Cowan, who was playing the final home game of her career, for the final out of the contest. Hull limited Erica Nagel to 1-for-6 in her two outings and held Loyola to a .104 average in her two appearances.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
Brianna Jones, Freshman, P, Manchester, Tenn. – Southern Illinois
Jones pitched arguably the best weekend of her young career in SIU’s series win over UNI. Facing a Panther offense that had 26 home runs in its previous 10 games, Jones limited the Panthers to a .170 average and zero home runs in 14.0 innings. She allowed only nine hits while striking out 14 and walking none. She had an 0.50 in two complete games, including her 10th shutout of the season in the series finale. With 10 shutouts this year, Jones has the most shutouts among all freshmen nationally. She lowered her overall ERA to 1.80, an MVC best.
Big South Softball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Longwood second baseman Carly Adams (Colonial Heights, Va,) has been selected as the Big South Conference Softball Player of the Week, while Liberty freshman Julia DiMartino (Brockport, N.Y.) has been named The Crons Brand Pitcher of the Week for games played April 25-May 1, it was announced today by the conference office.
Adams went 7-for-11 (.636) in Longwood’s series sweep over Radford to help the Lancers extend their win streak to 11. She tallied two extra base hits, five RBI and five runs scored to spark a Longwood offense that touched home plate 24 times in the series against the Highlanders. Adams’ most notable performance came in the series opener as she went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, four RBI and two runs scored in the Lancers’ 10-2 victory.
DiMartino claimed two wins for the Lady Flames last week after pitching a 10-inning complete game against Radford and her second no-hitter of the season in Liberty’s series opener against Gardner-Webb on Friday. The freshman posted an ERA of 1.73, recorded 29 strikeouts and held opponents’ to .176 batting average in 24.1 innings in the circle. In the first game of Liberty’s doubleheader against Radford, DiMartino surrendered just one earned run with 10 strikeouts in 10 innings as the Lady Flames went on to win, 4-3. In the no-hitter against Gardner-Webb, she tallied nine strikeouts and allowed just one walk as Liberty edged the Runnin’ Bulldogs, 1-0.
Also nominated for Player of the Week: Kassidy McCoy (Liberty) and Kayla Bishton (Radford).
Also nominated for Pitcher of the Week: Sydney Gay (Longwood).
MAC Softball
MAC East Player of the Week:
Arika Roush / Kent State / Utility
Sr. / Springfield, Ohio / Kenton Ridge
Arika Roush homered twice in the opening frame of a weekend series at Bowling Green to set the tone for a Kent State sweep and give the Golden Flashes possession of first place in the Mid-American Conference heading into the final week of the season. After leading off the game with a blast to left-center, Roush sent a 3-run shot over the wall in left field for a commanding 8-0 lead before the hosts had a chance to hit. In the weekend finale, Roush came through with a double in the 9th inning that moved the eventual winning run to just 60 feet from home plate. She drove in the go-ahead run in a Game 2 win over Youngstown State with a clutch 2-out single in the bottom of the 6th inning on Wednesday. For the week, Roush batted .467 (7-for-16) with 1 double, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, 4 runs scored, 5 walks, a .933 slugging percentage and a .600 on-base percentage.
MAC East Pitcher of the Week:
Ronnie Ladines / Kent State / Pitcher
Jr. / Arlington, Wash. / Arlington
Ronnie Ladines threw a pair of shutouts and 16 shutout innings overall to lead Kent State to a weekend MAC series sweep over Bowling Green and possession of first place in the Mid-American Conference heading into the final week of the season. In addition to holding the Falcons scoreless, Ladines had 16 strikeouts and only 1 walk in the series. After back-to-back shutouts in five-inning victories on Friday and Saturday, she took the circle on Sunday when play resumed in the series finale and threw six more shutout innings to allow the Golden Flashes’ offense multiple opportunities to push the winning run across the plate. Ladines has now thrown 21 consecutive scoreless innings against MAC teams. In mid-week action, she bounced back from a tough Game 1 loss against Youngstown State to record a save in Game 2. Ladines was also terrific at the plate, batting .438 (7-for-16) with 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs and a 1.000 slugging percentage while extending her hitting streak to a career-best 12 games.
MAC West Co-Player of the Week:
Emily Dabkowski / Ball State / Short Stop
Sr. / Plainfield, Ind. / South Putnam
Ball State senior shortstop Emily Dabkowski played a pivotal role in keeping the Cardinals alive in the MAC Tournament, leading the team with 4 RBI and tying for team-high honors with 4 runs scored. She also hit .556 (5-for-9) and drew a pair of walks for a .583 on base percentage.
In Friday’s second-game win over WMU, Dabkowski drove herself in for what proved to be the game-winning run with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. She also opened the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first to drive in Ball State’s first three runs in the 6-2 victory.
Dabkowski also scored what proved to be the game-winning run in Saturday’s victory over WMU with her first-inning RBI single. Ball State had a pair of runners on base with one out at the time, and Dabkowski sliced a single up the middle which the WMU center fielder misplayed allowing both base runners and Dabkowski to cross the plate and give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead in a game it won 10-2 (5).
MAC West Co-Player of the Week:
Jessica Lemieux / Toledo / Outfield
Sr. / Tigard, Ore. / Tigard
Senior Jessica Lemieux continued to provide a spark on the UT offense this past week and her consistency at the plate has helped Toledo reach its 10-straight wins. The senior went 8-for-16 for a .444 average to go with a home run, two doubles, five runs scored and five RBI. Lemieux had an impressive weekend at the plate during Toledo’s series with No. 1 NIU recording a .500 batting average, 1.000 slugging percentage and .571 on-base percentage. After the Huskies scored four quick runs in the second game, Lemieux hit a lead-off home run to spark the Rockets’ offense. Toledo tied the game in the fourth due to Lemieux’s RBI single. The Rockets then concluded the suspended game on Saturday in the 10th inning with a bases-loaded single by Lemieux to win the game, 7-6. The Tigard, OR native is currently riding a season-best 11-game hitting streak and a 12-game reached base streak.
MAC West Pitcher of the Week:
Marla Gooding / Toledo / Pitcher
Sr. / Banks, Ore. / Banks
Toledo is riding a 10-game win streak and senior RHP Marla Gooding has collected eight of them. Her eight-straight wins resulted from 49.0 innings pitched for a 1.43 ERA. Gooding picked up wins in all four of her appearances this past week. The senior only gave up three hits vs. BG for an opponent batting average of .125. Gooding claimed her second victory of the week vs. NIU after throwing for all eight innings and allowing just one earned run for her third-straight game. She entered game two vs. NIU in the eighth inning with the score tied at six and did not give up a hit until the game was suspended. The game resumed on Saturday and Gooding retired NIU’s first three batters, igniting the Rockets’ offense to then secure the victory. The senior started the final game but was replaced in the third after allowing a pair of two-run homers. Gooding re-entered the game in the sixth frame with the Rockets down 7-6. She battled back like a true veteran and secured Toledo’s final victory of the week.
A10 Softball
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Saint Joseph’s senior Sarah Yoos was named Atlantic 10 Conference Softball Player of the Week Monday while teammate freshman Ashley Ventura was selected as the league’s Softball Pitcher and Rookie of the Week. The awards were for games played April 25 – May 1.
Yoos led the Hawks to a 4-1 record in conference play this week while batting .500 (7-for-14) with two home runs, seven RBI and six runs scored. Against La Salle on Wednesday, the senior from Warrington, Pa., went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, four RBI and three runs scored as SJU swept the Explorers in a midweek doubleheader. Yoos followed with a strong performance over the weekend against George Washington, going 4-for-10 with three RBI and three runs scored. For the week she posted a 1.071 slugging percentage, a .611 slugging percentage and moved into a tie for third in single-season home runs at Saint Joseph’s.
Ventura was stellar for the Hawks in her three appearances on the week, going 3-0 with a 0.74 ERA and 19 strikeouts to just three walks. On Wednesday against La Salle, Ventura allowed just one unearned run on two hits, in the Hawks’ 3-1 victory. The freshman from Jackson, N.J., followed with two dominant performances at George Washington over the weekend. On Saturday, Ventura allowed just one hit and struck out eight for the complete game victory. She followed on Sunday with another strong showing in SJU’s 12-1 win. Allowing just three hits and one run in the first inning, Ventura shut down the Colonials over the final four innings of the 5-inning affair, setting down the final 12 GW batters in order for the win.
Big East Softball
NEW YORK – St. John’s McKenzie Murray was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week for the second-straight week and Providence’s Julianne Rurka was named BIG EAST Player of the Week, the conference announced on Monday.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Julianne Rurka, Providence, So., INF
Rurka was a force at the plate in the Friars’ 4-0 week, knocking in a league-high eight runs, seven coming in the three-game sweep of Georgetown. In Game 2 against the Hoyas, the sophomore belted a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning and added an RBI double in the second. Rurka finished the week with a .429 batting average, eight RBI, three runs, two doubles and a long ball.
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
McKenzie Murray, St. John’s, So.
Murray was spectacular in her lone appearance inside the circle last week, picking up the win in the second contest against Creighton and allowing the Red Storm to leap frog over the Bluejays in the conference standings. The sophomore struck out 10 in the complete game victory, allowing five hits and giving up just one unearned run.
Summit League Softball
ELMHURST, Ill. – South Dakota State outfielder Lauren Chirnside was named Summit League Player of the Week while North Dakota State pitcher Jacquelyn Sertic earned the league’s Pitcher of the Week award for their performances during the week of April 25 – May 1.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
LAUREN CHIRNSIDE, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
So. // OF // Kansas City, Mo.
- Named Summit League Player of the Week for the first time in her career
- Helped lead South Dakota State to a 4-1 week, including a sweep of league opponent Fort Wayne
- Went 3-for-6 with two home runs, eight RBI and four runs scored in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of the Mastodons
- Started the NCAA-tying streak of four consecutive homers with a three-run blast during the 11-run fourth inning of game one
- Belted a grand slam in the second inning of game two on Saturday
- For the week, batted .400 (4-for-10) with a 1.200 slugging percentage and .455 on-base percentage
- Had eight RBI, six runs scored with two doubles, homers and stolen bases
Also nominated: Jessica Murray, Fort Wayne; Morgan Schlobohm, IUPUI; Logan Moreland, North Dakota State; Rachel Beatty, Western Illinois
Previous honorees: Feb. 15 – Sydney Hames, Omaha; Feb. 22 – Payton Abbott, Western Illinois; Feb 29 – Jackie Stifter, North Dakota State; March 7 – Tierney Bottino, Western Illinois; March 14 – Kourtney Pock, Omaha; March 21 – Kourtney Pock, Omaha; March 28 – Sydney Hancock, South Dakota; April 4 – Sydney Hames, Omaha/Logan Moreland, North Dakota State; April 11 – Logan Moreland, North Dakota State; April 18 – Campbell Ditto, Omaha; April 25 – Alyssa Reina, North Dakota State
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
JACQUELYN SERTIC, NORTH DAKOTA STATE
So. // RHP // Spark, Nev.
- Earned her fifth Summit League Pitcher of the Week award this season and of her career
- Collected the win after tossing a complete game two-hit shutout against league foe South Dakota Friday
- Went seven innings allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out 13 Coyote batters in the 3-0 Bison victory
Also nominated: Brooke Boetjer, IUPUI; Kacyee Hart, Western Illinois
Previous honorees: Feb. 15 – Jacquelyn Sertic, North Dakota State; Feb. 22 – Brooke Boetjer, IUPUI / Kacyee Hart, Western Illinois; Feb. 29 – Jacquelyn Sertic, North Dakota State; March 7 – Jacquelyn Sertic, North Dakota State / Emily Ira, Western Illinois; March 14 – Laura Roecker, Omaha; March 21 – Jacquelyn Sertic, North Dakota State; March 28 – Laura Roecker, Omaha; April 4 – Abbie Clanton, Omaha/Jacquelyn Sertic, North Dakota State; April 11 – Madison Frain, South Dakota; April 18 – Brooke Boetjer, IUPUI; April 25 – Kaitlynn Moody, IUPUI
Southland Softball
FRISCO, Texas – Sam Houston State freshman Codi Carpenter was selected Southland Conference Softball Hitter of the Week while Nicholls senior Hannah Haydel was named pitcher of the week presented by UniversalCoin.com, the league office announced Monday.
Hitter of the Week – Codi Carpenter, Sam Houston State
Carpenter led the Bearkats to their first Southland Conference series sweep of the season, defeating UIW 9-1, 8-0, and 8-0. The Magnolia, Texas (Magnolia H.S.), native posted nine consecutive hits to boast a .889 batting average on the weekend. The freshman also earned two runs, three RBIs and a 1.22 slugging percentage.
Honorable Mention: Brittany Lewis, Stephen F. Austin; Jessie Taylor, Central Arkansas.
Pitcher of the Week – Hannah Haydel, Nicholls
Haydel was outstanding once again as she recorded her 19th and 20th victories over the weekend after limiting Southeastern Louisiana to just six hits and one earned run in her two complete games. Haydel dealt a four-hitter in the series opening victory and followed up by flirting with her second no-hitter in as many weekends. Haydel enters the final weekend of play leading the Southland in conference play in wins, ERA, strikeouts and opponent batting average. This is her second-consecutive weekly honors.
Honorable Mention: Shivan Landeros, Central Arkansas; Jamie Allred, McNeese; Lindsey McLeod, Sam Houston 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 – The 2016 America East softball season enters the final week of action with just 2 1/2 games separating the top four teams in the conference standings. Binghamton took two out of three at Albany last weekend to move into first place in the league standings. The Bearcats (12-3 AE) can win their first-ever America East regular-season title with a successful weekend. Albany (10-3), Maine (10-4) and Stony Brook (9-5) follow closely. The Great Danes visit the Seawolves to close out their season while the Black Bears host UMBC. The six-team America East Championship takes place May 11-14 at the highest seed.
Read about this week’s award winners below:
Player of the Week
Rachel Harvey, Maine – Jr., C, Southington, Conn.
- Hit .474 (9-for-19), including 8-of-13 in a three-game sweep of Hartford to lead Maine to a 4-1 week.
- Slugged .947, belting a pair of homers and three doubles.
- Drove in eight and scored four runs.
Pitcher of the Week
Erin Bogdanovich, Maine – Jr., P, South Portland, Maine
- Went 1-0 and earned a save in three appearances last week.
- Registered a 1.97 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of work.
- Struck out 14 hitters.
- This is her second Pitcher of the Week honor of the season (3/19).
Rookie of the Week
Alyssa Derrick, Maine – Fr., Util., Coventry, R.I.
- Slashed .412/.500/.706 in 4-1 week for Maine.
- Whacked two doubles and a home run.
- Drove in six runs and scored a pair.
- This is her second Rookie of the Week honor of the season (3/22).
Big Sky Softball
OGDEN, Utah (May 2, 2016) – Weber State’s Aubrey Whitmer was named the Big Sky Conference softball Player of the Week while Montana’s Sara Stephenson earned Pitcher of the Week.
Whitmer, a senior from Mesa, Ariz., helped lead the Wildcats to a three-game series sweep of then league-leader, Sacramento State. With the three wins, WSU took over first place in the conference standings and can clinch the right to host the upcoming Big Sky tournament with a win at Montana this coming weekend.
The Wildcat shortstop posted the game-winning RBI in Saturday’s epic 14-inning contest. In the bottom of the 14th, Whitmer knocked a single to shallow right field that gave the Cats the 4-3 win in game three of the series against the Hornets. In game one, she went 2-for-3 with a two RBIs and scored twice. She followed with a 3-for-4 performance with a RBI in the 8-0 victory in game two. She also flashed the leather with six putouts and no errors on the weekend.
Stephenson, a freshman from Sutter, Calif., helped lead the Grizzlies to their first Big Sky Conference tournament appearance by pitching in all three of Montana’s wins at North Dakota last weekend. The freshman came into the first game against North Dakota in the 12th inning with two runners on and no outs. She picked up three straight outs to seal the win for the Grizzlies and followed that up with a complete-game shutout in game two.
She came on for four innings of relief in the series finale and picked up her second win of the weeknd. In three games, she allowed just three unearned runs and finished with two wins, a save, eight strikeouts and two walks.
NEC Softball
NEC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Celinna Cosio, LIU Brooklyn
Sr., 1B, San Diego, CA/Bonita Vista
Cosio was a force at the plate, hitting .500 with three homers and seven RBIs to help the Blackbirds extend their win streak to 12 with three victories last week. In LIU Brooklyn’s 4-3 win over Rutgers on Wednesday, she recorded a solo home run over the Big Ten opponent. Cosio continued her power hitting with two more round trippers in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of Sacred Heart. Her second homer was a walk-off grand slam that enforced the eight-run rule in the sixth inning of the 9-1 win. For the year, the San Diego native is hitting .356 with six home runs and a team-best 32 RBIs. She is hitting an NEC-high .512 with five home runs and 20 RBIs in conference play.
NEC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Erynn Sobieski, LIU Brooklyn
So., P, Logan Township, NJ/GCIT
Sobieski earns her fourth NEC Pitcher of the Week honor after going 2-0 this past weekend with meager 0.58 ERA in three outings. The sophomore allowed just six hits and a single earned run over 12.0 innings pitched, while fanning 11 batters without a single walk. In Saturday’s sweep of Sacred Heart, the Logan Township, NJ product tossed 9.0 innings, allowing just four hits and striking out nine. She threw a complete game four-hitter in a 2-1 win over the Pioneers in the opener. Sobieski also scattered two hits over 3.0 innings and picked up the win in a 4-3 extra inning victory over Rutgers on Wednesday. Sobieski has amassed a league leading 8-1 record in NEC play this season with a 1.40 ERA, striking out 52 batters while issuing just six walks.
NEC SOFTBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Kaitlin Ellzy, Robert Morris
Fr., P, Cadiz, OH/Harrison Central
Ellzy was a key component in the circle this weekend for the Colonials as she helped RMU to a pair of league victories with a win and a save. The two-time NEC Rookie of the Week recorded a 1.43 ERA over 14.2 innings. In the opening game of a doubleheader against Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday, the junior tossed three innings of shutout relief and followed up in the nightcap by allowing four hits and a single run in a complete-game 9-1 victory. Ellzy then played a role in snapping Saint Francis U’s nine-game NEC winning streak on Sunday, picking up the save after allowing one run in three innings of a 6-2 win.
MAAC Softball
