Miami Sweeps Softball Weekly Honors
MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Courtney Vierstra, Miami
Pitcher, Sophomore, Thornville, Ohio (Lakewood)
Courtney Vierstra had a 0.00 ERA for a second-straight week as the RedHawks swept their second-straight MAC series to stay atop of the standings. Vierstra pitched the complete-game shutout in the first game of the series. She gave up less than one hit per inning and struck out five batters during the game. Vierstra came into the second and final game of the series as relief and allowed no runs. Despite being only a sophomore, Vierstra is now ranked eighth in program history in career strikeouts with 355. She also has the seventh-most strikeouts in a single season in program historywith 194 this year.
MAC Softball Player of the Week
Lily Wilmot, Miami
Outfielder, Sophomore, Alameda, Calif. (Encinal)
Sophomore Lily Wilmot put up the best single-game performance by a RedHawk hitter this season in Miami's 9-0 shutout at Ohio on Saturday. Wilmot went 3-of-4 with two home runs and six RBI in the win. She is the first Miami hitter to hit two home runs in a single game this season and six RBI is a single-game high for the RedHawks this season as well. Wilmot batted in what would prove to be the game-winning run with a two-run shot in the top of the second in Miami's first hit of the game. She hit an RBI single in the sixth before concluding the game with a three-run home run in the seventh, contributing to the late-game flurry of runs that would see Miami pull away from Ohio. Wilmot also contributed a hit to the 6-1 win in game two. She led Miami in home runs (2), slugging percentage (1.250), RBI (6) and total bases (10) this week, while being perfect in the field as well.
Other Pitcher Nominees
Meredith Miller, Bowling Green
Pitcher, Senior, Sugar Land, Texas / Clements
Bowling Green senior Meredith Miller went 2-0 with a 2.47 ERA last week, with a pair of complete-game wins in as many appearances. She defeated Wright State in non-league play on Tuesday, then threw all 10 innings in a victory against Akron on Saturday. Against the Zips, she struck out nine batters without a walk. On the season, Miller is now 14-15 with an ERA of an even 3.00. She has 171 strikeouts on the year, ranking fourth in the MAC and also ranking fourth on the BGSU single-season list. In MAC games, Miller has seven complete games in 11 starts, and an opponent batting average of just .242.
Erin Hunt, Toledo
Pitcher, Sophomore, Dansville, Mich.
Sophomore pitcher Erin Hunt led Toledo to a 1-0 win in the series opener and recorded a save in UT’s 8-4 victory in game two this weekend as Toledo hosted Western Michigan. The Dansville, Mich. native tossed 16 innings, striking out 14 batters (12 KS, 2 KL) while giving up just five walks and two runs to help Toledo move to 8-8 in conference play. Hunt ended the game one of the series with eight Ks and three walks. The contest was the sixth time this season that she’s struck out at least eight batters. Hunt now has the third-best opposing batting average (.215) in the conference after the weekend, ranks third in KLs (44), and has 147 strikeouts which ties for fifth most in a single season at UT.
Jordan Kurth, Western Michigan
LHP, Senior, Aurora, Ill. / Waubonsie Valley
Senior pitcher Jordan Kurth led the Bronco pitching staff over the weekend during its series at the University of Toledo, disallowing any Rocket earned runs in a pair of starts and 10.2 innings. While tallying eight strikeouts and limiting Toledo to a .167 batting average, Kurth tossed a complete game shutout to guide WMU to a 2-0 series finale victory.
Other Player Nominees
Brenna Brownfield, Kent State
Designated Player, Sophomore, Thornville, Ohio / Lakewood
Kent State sophomore Brenna Brownfield drove in five runs this week for the Golden Flashes while hitting .571 with a slugging percentage of 1.286. KSU had three of its games cancelled this weekend at Buffalo. Brownfield has recorded multiple-hit games in her last four and has at least one RBI in each of her last five games. In the first game against the defending Northeast Conference Champions, she was 2-for-3 with a double. a run scored. two RBIs and a walk. In the nightcap she went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run while totaling three RBIs. The sophomore leads the conference in MAC-only games with a .525 batting average.
Alex Sorgi, Bowling Green
Centerfield, Senior, Shelby Township, Mich. / Henry Ford II
Bowling Green senior CF Alex Sorgi hit a team-best .400 as the Falcons went 3-1 last week. Sorgi scored four runs in the four games, and also stole six bases, including a school record-tying four in one game. Sorgi had at least one hit in all four of last week’s games, increasing her current hitting streak to six games. She tied the school record for steals in a game (a record she already shared) with four vs. Akron. BGSU single-game records are incomplete, but no Falcon has ever stolen five bases in a game. A BG player has stolen four bases in a game only three times since 1994, and Sorgi has had two of those three games. On the season, Sorgi is batting .325. She leads the Falcons with 34 runs, 21 walks and 29 stolen bases, and Sorgi leads the entire MAC in the latter category. In MAC games, she is hitting a team-high .373 with an on-base percentage of .455. She leads the team with 15 multi-hit games this spring to date.
Stacy Payton, Ball State
3B, Sophomore, Brazil, Ind./Northview
It was another solid week for sophomore third baseman Stacy Payton who led the Ball State offense with a .500 batting average and a 1.167 slugging percentage over four games.She reached base safely in all four games, including a 3-for-3 effort in the second game of the April 26 doubleheader at Central Michigan in which she opened the second inning with a triple and scored on a wild pitch. Later in the game, she opened the fourth inning with her first of two home runs in the series. Payton added her second home run in the series finale to finish the CMU series with a .600 (6-for-10) average and a 1.400 slugging percentage. She also scored all four of her runs in against the Chippewas.
