MAC Softball Player of the Week
Karli Spaid, Miami University
Infielder, Freshman, Chicago, IL/Lane Technical
Miami's Karli Spaid continued a torrid hitting pace over the weekend in Miami's series sweep of Central Michigan. The freshman infielder from Chicago went 8-of-16 (.500) for the weekend with two doubles, a triple and a pair of home runs giving her a slugging percentage of 1.125 and leading to 13 RBIs for the weekend. Spaid's on-base percentage for the weekend was .556 and once she got on the freshman infielder made the most of it stealing six bases on six attempts.
MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Courtney Vierstra, Miami University
Pitcher, Senior, Thornville, Ohio/Lakewood
Miami's Courtney Vierstra continued dominating MAC teams from inside the circle as the Thornville, Ohio native made three appearances in Miami's 4-game sweep of Central Michigan this weekend, picking up 2 wins and 2 complete games. The senior pitched the first perfect game of her career on Friday setting down 15 straight Chippewa batters, striking out 7 CMU of them en route to a 9-0 win. In Game one of Saturday's double header, Vierstra went the distance and picked up the victory in the 5-inning, 11-3 Miami win. For the weekend, Vierstra pitched 11 innings, picking up 2 wins, striking out 16 batters while walking only 3 and allowing CMU hitters a batting averaging of only .111
Other Nominees
Katie Keller, Northern Illinois University
C/OF, Junior, Geneva, Ill./Geneva
Katie Keller was the offensive catalyst for the Huskies during their four-game series with Kent State this past weekend. She tallied five hits, three for extra bases, including a home run. The league leader in doubles and doubles per game (.50), Keller added two more doubles over the weekend to her total of 11 on the season. The Geneva, Ill. native tallied two RBIs in each of the last three games of the series. She contributed on defense as well, throwing out two base runners as catcher as well. Her 2-for-4, two-RBI performance in the series finale helped lead NIU to a 7-5 win.
Abbey Tolmie, Central Michigan
Outfield, Freshman, Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston
Freshman outfielder Abbey Tolmie continued her solid offensive and defensive start to her collegiate career, batting .444 in Central Michigan's weekend series at Miami (Ohio). Tolmie started and played in 3 of the 4 games, going 4-for-9 at the plate with 4 singles. She also excelled in the field, posting a 1.000 fielding percentage with 3 putouts. Tolmie leads the Chippewas in hits with 19 and ranks second in batting average (.333) and total bases (19).
Alexis Taube, Kent State
Outfield, Senior, Kalamazoo, Mich./Mattawan
Alexis Taube continued her scorching start to the conference season with a team-high nine RBIs and a .571/.563/1.000 slash line to lead Kent State to a series victory at Northern Illinois. Taube had at least one hit, run and RBI in each of the four games. She started the weekend by going 2-for-2 at the plate and driving in three runs in a five-inning run-rule victory in Friday’s first game of a doubleheader and added a RBI double and two runs scored in the nightcap. Taube’s three-run homer in the top of the seventh inning on Saturday tied it at 8-8. She then started a two-run ninth inning with a single, her third hit of the day. Taube helped the Golden Flashes to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning of Sunday’s finale with a two-run triple before scoring on a groundout.
Katie Yun, Ohio
Short Stop, Senior, North Canton, Ohio/North Canton Hoover
Senior short stop Katie Yun led the Bobcats last week, helping them go 2-2 against Western Michigan. Yun hit .462 with six hits, two doubles, and two runs scored. She was 3-for-3 with in stolen bases, while recording a .615 slugging percentage and a .500 on base percentage. She drew one walk and registered six putouts in the field. She also added four RBI and eight total bases. In the first game of the weekend, Yun registered one double and two RBI while scoring one run in the Bobcats 4-2 win. She added another double later in the day to go along with one RBU and one run scored. The next day in game one of the double header, Yun added two hits and an RBI in the win.
Taylor Garey, Western Michigan
IF, Freshman, St. Joseph, MI / St. Joseph
Garey went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored in Friday's game two victory at Ohio. She followed up by going 3-for-3 with three RBI in WMU's victory in the series finale to earn a four-game split at Ohio. The freshman has played in 11 games this season, with seven of those coming since the start of MAC play. In MAC play this season, she's batting .462, a mark which leads the Broncos, ranks 17th in the league and fourth among the conference's freshmen.
Macey Moore, Toledo
Catcher, Sophomore, Ashville, Ohio/Teas Valley
Sophomore catcher Macey Moore hit an impressive .833 and registered a 1.333 slugging percentage to lead Toledo to a pair of 10-2 victories at Buffalo on Saturday in a four-game series shortened due to inclement weather. Moore was 3-for-3 in Saturday's opener, including a home run that tied the game at 1-1 in the second. She then singled and scored in the third as part of a two-run rally that gave UT a 3-1 lead. In the second game, Moore was 2-for-3.
Stacy Payton, Ball State
Catcher / DP, Senior, Brazil, Ind. / Northview
Senior catcher/designated player Stacy Payton powered the Ball State softball team to its first 4-0 start in MAC play since the 2013 season by hitting .600 and leading the team with 6 RBI in the four-game series sweep of Bowling Green. She also drew five walks, boasted a 1.200 slugging percentage and a .733 on base percentage. She reached base once in at least all four games, and also drove in at least one RBI in each of the four contests. Her biggest game was in the series finale, when she logged an RBI double in the third, an RBI single in the fourth and a game-tying solo home run to spark a 5-runs sixth inning in BSUs come-from-behind victory. Payton also became the first catcher to throw out a BGSU runner trying to steal this season, when she snapped BGSU’s streak at 28-for-28 in the series opener. After she caught Marlie McNulty trying to steal second in the fifth inning, the Falcons did not attempt to steal again the remainder of the weekend.
Sammy Dees, Bowling Green
Second Base, R-Sophomore, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (Mission Viejo)
Bowling Green’s Sammy Dees hit .500 in the Falcons’ weekend series at Ball State, leading the team in hits, batting average and RBI (5) in the four games. Dees had a walk, a hit, a sac fly and an RBI in the opening game, then went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer in the second game of the series. In the final game, she had three hits to tie her career best, going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. On the year, Dees is now hitting .291, and she is batting .364 in the Falcons’ eight MAC games. She raised her overall season batting average 58 points in the Ball State series.
?Mackenzie Bryan,Northern Illinois University
Pitcher, Senior, Elwood, Ind./Elwood
After taking the rubber for the first time since May 9, 2019, pitching a third of an inning in the series opener against Kent State, Mackenzie Bryan came back with a strong outing in the series finale with the Golden Flashes. After the Huskies fell behind 4-0 after the first inning, Bryan came in to start the top of the second and pitched six strong innings of relief. The NIU senior held the Golden Flashes to one run on four hits and four base on balls, allowing the Huskie bats to get back into the game and eventually beat Kent State, 7-5.
Jessica LeBeau, Kent State
Pitcher, Freshman, Hartville, Ohio / Lake
Jessica LeBeau earned a pair of wins in leading Kent State to its second straight series victory to begin the MAC season. LeBeau appeared in all four games at Northern Illinois, totaling 14 strikeouts over 13.2 innings and posting a 2.56 ERA. She started the weekend with a two-hit shutout in the series opener and then recorded the final two outs of the second game to complete a doubleheader sweep on Friday. After the Golden Flashes rallied for four runs to tie it in the top of the seventh on Saturday, LeBeau re-entered the game and threw three scoreless innings in a 10-8 win.
Tieghan Morio, Ball State
Pitcher, Junior, Mascoutah, Ill. / Mascoutah
Junior pitcher Tieghan Morio picked up a pair of wins in the circle to help guide Ball State to a four-game series sweep of Bowling Green and to its first 4-0 start to league play since the 2013 season. She started with a solid outing in Saturday’s opening game versus the Falcons, allowing just nine hits and five runs, only three of which were earned, in the 7-5 victory. She also struck out three of the 33 batters she faced in the contest. She then entered Sunday’s game in relief, helping the Cardinals rally from down 5-1 for the 9-5 victory. She retired 9 of the 10 batters she faced, with the only base runner coming on a Ball State error. She struck out two of the first three batters she faced looking, and finished the appearance with three strikeouts.
Erin Hunt, Toledo
Pitcher, Senior, Dansville, Mich.
Senior Erin Hunt pitched the Rockets to a pair of 10-2 victories at Buffalo last weekend in a series shortened to two games by inclement weather. Hunt posted a 1.91 ERA allowed just five hits and a .135 opponent batting average in 11.0 innings. She allowed three hits and struck out seven in 6.0 IP in a complete-game effort in Game 1, followed by two hits in 5.0 IP in another complete-game performance.
