MAC Announces Softball Players of the Week
MAC East Player of the Week
Ashton Slone, Miami
UTL/non-pitcher
Freshman
Plainfield, Ind. / Plainfield
Ashton Slone led the Miami offense as the RedHawks scored 32 runs in Buffalo last weekend. Slone's impressive weekend was highlighted by a three-hit, two-RBI performance in the final game of the weekend, reaching base five times that game. Slone led the RedHawks' starters with a 1.083 slugging percentage, .571 on-base percentage, 13 total bases, five RBI and two home runs. Slone also scored three runs while hitting .500 on the weekend with six hits.
MAC East Pitcher of the Week
Madi Huck, Kent State
Pitcher
Sophomore
Delaware, Ohio / Delaware Hayes
Kent State sophomore pitcher Madi Huck was one out away from throwing a no-hitter on Saturday against Akron. In her only start of the week, she did not allow a hit until a seeing-eye single through the left side of the diamond in Kent State's 4-0 win over Akron. Huck struck out seven and walked one in the contest while allowing only three baserunners all game. She held the Zips to a .087 batting average.
MAC West Player of the Week
Marlee Wilson, Western Michigan
First Base
RSr.
South Haven, Mich. / South Haven
Western Michigan redshirt senior Marlee Wilson batted .571 over five games this week, helping WMU upset nationally No. 14 ranked Michigan on the road, as well as win this weekend's Mid-American Conference series against Eastern Michigan. Wilson went 8-for-14 at the plate with one home run, one double, four runs scored and four RBIs. Defensively she had a perfect (1.000) fielding percentage at first base. Wilson collected two hits, including a home run and drove in three in the Broncos' 8-2 upset on the road at Michigan on Tuesday, as the Broncos handed U-M it first home loss of the season. Entering the game, the Wolverines had outscored opponents 92-5 in home contests and held a 12-0 record at Alumni Field. Overall on the year, Michigan had allowed just two earned runs. U-M had also entered the game leading the nation with a 1.09 staff ERA. Wilson came back on Wednesday and batted 3-for-3 at Detroit in the Broncos' final non-conference game of the season. Wilson closed out the weekend batting .479 in the three-game series against Eastern Michigan, going 3-for-7 with a double, a run scored and an RBI. WMU took the series, two games to one, and will be the No. 5 seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament.
MAC West Pitcher of the Week
Aeshia Miles, Ball State
Starting Pitcher
Junior
Lawrenceville, Ga. (Collins Hill)
Aeshia Miles closed the regular season with a pair of dominating performances at Toledo, helping guide the Cardinals to the No. 2 seed in the MAC Softball Championship and a share of the MAC West Division Title. Over 13.1 innings of work, Miles turned in a perfect 0.00 ERA and allowed just five hits to hold the Rockets to a .109 batting average. In the series opener, Miles picked up her ninth win in MAC play, and 18th on the year, by throwing the first 6.0 innings and limiting Toledo to three hits and no runs. She also struck out three batters in the game. Then, entering a must-win situation in Saturday’s nightcap, Miles took it up a notch by no-hitting the Rockets through the first 7.1 innings to help Ball State secure its share of the MAC West Division Title and the No. 2 seed in the league tournament. She struck out six batters in the game and yielded one unearned run in the eighth inning.
Other Pitcher Nominees
Sydney Stefanick, Western Michigan
Pitcher
Freshman
Johnstown, Ohio / Johnstown
Freshman Sydney Stefanick held opponents scoreless (0.00 ERA) over three appearances this past week, earning a win and a save. She struck out eight, did not allow a walk, and scattered four hits over 5.1 innings. In Saturday's doubleheader sweep over Eastern Michigan, she earned the win in game one and the save in game two. In WMU's 3-2 victory in game one, she struck out three batters and allowed just two hits over 3.0 innings. She entered the game with no outs and two runners on in the fifth inning and got out of the at bat with a pair of swinging strikeouts and a groundout. In WMU's 2-0 victory in game two, Stefanick entered the contest with two outs and the potential tying run for Eastern Michigan at third base. Stefanick shut the door again with a swinging strikeout for the third out. She struck out two more batters in the seventh inning, which gave her three strikeouts in her four outs recorded over the 1.1 innings pitched. It was her second save of the season and her first combined shutout. Stefanick also made an appearance at Detroit during mid-week play, striking out two in an inning of relief. Stefanick contributed to the offense over the week as well, batting .400 (2-for-5) in the series against EMU. Stefanick has a 6-6 record on the season with a 3.49 ERA and is batting .313.
Nicolle Miranda, Eastern Michigan
Pitcher
Junior
Wilmington, Calif. /Port of Los Angeles
Junior Nicolle Miranda (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) was outstanding for Eastern Michigan in its final week of the season, going a perfect 2-0 in the circle. Miranda scattered nine hits over 13.0 innings of work, while striking out 11 and walking three. The Wilmington, Calif. native allowed just one earned run over three games, while holding opponents to a .176 batting average. For the week, Miranda finished with a 0.54 earned run average and allowed just two extra base hits. In her first game of the week, Miranda went 4.0 innings in relief and struck out three as EMU walked-off, 7-6, against Oakland. Then, she followed that up with a complete game shutout against Western Michigan. It was her first shutout of the season, and fourth of her career. Miranda yielded just four hits, while striking out a season-high eight batters. The win marked EMU's first over Western Michigan since 2011, snapping a 15-game skid against the Broncos. Additionally, Miranda's eight K's were her most since April 22, 2016. For her career, Miranda finished with the 11th-most strikeouts (233) and tossed the eighth-most innings (443).
Meredith Miller, Bowling Green
Pitcher
Junior
Sugar Land, Texas (Clements)
Bowling Green junior P Meredith Miller had an ERA of just 1.17 last weekend, pitching 18 of BGSU’s 21 innings. She saw action in all three of BGSU’s games vs. league-leading Ohio, going 1-1 with an opponent batting average of just .212. She had a complete-game in each of her two starts, and allowed only three earned runs and 14 total hits in her 18 innings of work. In the series opener, Miller picked up a complete-game win against the Bobcats, outdueling Danielle Stiene to give the Ohio ace her first loss in MAC play. Miller scattered six hits and allowed two runs, both unearned, in BG’s 3-2 victory at Meserve Field. The next day, she was forced to enter the opening game when BG’s starting pitcher was injured, and gave up just one run and four hits in four innings of relief. She then made it 11-straight innings of action, starting the second game of the day and throwing a complete-game four-hitter. On the season, Miller went 14-15 with an ERA of 2.94, leading the team in both wins and ERA. She finished the year with 151 strikeouts, ranking her third in the MAC and tying her for the ninth-highest total in school history.
Danielle Stiene, Ohio
Pitcher
Senior
Loveland, Ohio /Ursuline Academy
Starting pitcher Danielle Stiene continued to dominate in the circle during the final weekend of the regular season. Stiene pitched 14.2 innings, appearing in all three games, making three starts, picking up one win and one save. She registered a 0.48 ERA, allowing one earned run on seven hits, walked three and struck out 14 batters, while opponents only hit .143 against her. Her performance helped Ohio go 2-1 on the weekend and helped the Bobcats finish MAC play 20-3 and clinch the MAC Regular Season Title for the first time since 1995 and clinch the one seed in this year's MAC tournament for the first time in program history. On May 4 against Bowling Green. Stiene pitched 6.2 innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits, while walking two and striking out seven batters. Stiene returned to the circle on May 5 in the first game of the doubleheader. With no outs and a runner on base in the bottom of the seventh inning, Stiene would enter the game and send the Falcons down in order, securing the save in Ohio's 3-1 victory. Overall, Stiene pitched on innings, allowing no runs and no hits. She would then start the second game of the doubleheader and be completely dominate, taking a perfect game to the fifth inning and a no hitter that would be broken up in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out. Overall, Stiene pitched all seven innings, allowing no runs on one hit, walked one and struck out seven batters in Ohio's 4-0 victory.
Keegan Hayes, Northern Illinois University
Pitcher
Senior
Naperville, Ill. /Naperville Central
Senior Keegan Hayes (Naperville, Ill. /Naperville Central) had a key role as a starter and a reliever for the Huskies last week. The NIU right hander posted a 1-0 record with a 0.88 ERA in eight innings. Hayes surrendered only five hits on two runs in three appearances. The Huskies won three of five games this past week including taking two out of three against Central Michigan earning a bid to the MAC Tournament. Hayes was lights out against Valparaiso going a combined three innings allowing no runs and hits while striking out three batters. In her only start against the Chippewas, Hayes worked five innings allowing only two runs on five hits earning her third win of the season.
Other Player Nominees
Bekah Yenrick, Toledo
OF
Freshman
Oregon, Ohio / Clay
Toledo's Bekah Yenrick had her best weekend as a Rocket in an important MAC West matchup with Ball State. Yenrick went 3-for-8 on the week with a double and a home run for UT. Yenrick drove in seven runs including a six RBI game in the Rockets' 9-1 win over the Cardinals. The Oregon, Ohio native slugged .875 and reached base at a .545 clip for the week to lead the Midnight Blue & Gold. On the season, the freshman is hitting .308 (24-for-78) with three home runs, five doubles and 18 RBIs. Yenrick is second on the team in slugging and on-base percentage at .487 and .444, respectively.
Kaylee Parker, Bowling Green
First Base
Junior
Lufkin, Texas (Hudson)
Bowling Green junior 1B Kaylee Parker hit .571 in the Falcons’ weekend series vs. MAC-leading Ohio, going 4-for-7 at the plate. Parker led the Falcons in batting average, on-base percentage (.625) and slugging pct. (857), with a walk and two doubles in the three games. Parker went 2-for-3 with a double in each of the Falcons’ first two games vs. the Bobcats, including a 3-2 BGSU win in the series opener. Her second hit in that game was a single to lead off the seventh inning of a 2-2 tie, as BG went on to a walk-off win. She had a walk in two plate appearances in the final regular-season game. In her first season with the Falcons, Parker played in 51 of the team’s 52 games, starting all 51. She batted .292 and was second on the team with 24 RBI. Parker had nine doubles, tying her for third on the Falcons, and she had a .985 fielding pct., with just three errors in 283 chances. In MAC games, Parker hit .315 to tie for the team lead, and she also paced the Falcons in doubles (6), extra-base hits (8), slugging pct. (.537 – tied for team lead) and fielding pct. (a perfect 1.000 in 139 chances).
Kennadie Goth, Kent State
Outfield
Freshman
Shelby, Ohio / Shelby
Kent State freshman outfielder Kennadie Goth had a 6-for-10 week at the dish and kept her batting average above .400 for the season while guiding the Golden Flashes to a pair of wins. She began the week going 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored against Pitt. In game one of Kent State's series against Akron, she was 2-for-4 with two singles. She finished her week with a perfect 3-for-3 day while scoring three runs and swiping two bases.
Allie Englant, Ohio
Leftfield
Freshman
Long Beach, Calif / Los Alamitos
Freshman Allie Englant helped the Bobcats offensively this weekend. Registering four hits in nine at bats and recording a .444 batting average. She recorded one double, scored one run and has two RBI and a .556 slugging percentage and helped the Bobcats clinch the MAC Regular Season Title for the first time since 1995 and clinch the top seed in this year's MAC Tournament for the first time ever in Ohio history. In game one, Englant went 2-for-3 with a run scored, while also throwing a runner out at home who was trying to score on a sacrifice fly. She returned to the diamond in the next game, going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI. England's two RBI double in the top of the fourth inning would end up being the game-winning runs in the Bobcats' 3-1 win.
Jenny Van Geertry, Northern Illinois
OF
Junior
Mokena, Ill. /Lincoln-Way East
Junior Jenny Van Geertry (Mokena, Ill. /Lincoln-Way East) continues to swing a hot and consistent bat for the Huskies. The Huskie centerfielder batted .400 with two home runs and three runs driven in. Van Geertry added a .933 slugging percentage and two doubles. NIU won three out of five games this past week, including taking two of three against Central Michigan. Against Valparaiso, Van Geertry went a combined 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs. In the Huskies game one victory against Central Michigan, on Friday, Van Geertry went 2-for-3 with two doubles. Also in that game, Van Geertry displayed some excellent defense gunning down a runner that was trying to score from second.
