MAC Softball Player Of The Week
Karli Spaid, Miami University
Infielder, Freshman, Chicago, Illinois/ Lane Technical
Karli Spaid provided the offensive spark for the RedHawks in their four-game sweep of Buffalo this weekend. The freshman from Chicago, Ill. went 8-for-13 on the weekend with four home runs, a double, seven runs scored and eight RBI. Spaid’s slugging percentage for the weekend was an amazing 1.615. Her on-base percentage was .615 for the weekend and Spaid was 2-for-2 in the stolen base category. Spaid currently has a 19-game hit streak.
MAC Softball Pitcher Of The Week
Courtney Vierstra, Miami University
Pitcher, Senior, Thornville, Ohio/Lakewood
Courtney Vierstra picked up where she left off last weekend, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning against Buffalo on Friday. The RedHawk senior would get a 3-0 shutout victory, allowing just one hit and striking out a career-high 17 batters. Vierstra got the start in the first game of a doubleheader with the Bulls on Saturday, going the distance in a 10-1, 5-inning Miami win. For the weekend, Courtney pitched 14.0 innings, allowed just four hits, one run, walking one, while striking out 28 batters and held Buffalo batters to a .087 batting average.
Other Nominees
Darcie Huber, Ball State
Pitcher, Senior, Greenfield, Ind. / Greenfield Central
Helped guide Ball State to its fourth consecutive league sweep and a perfect 15-0 mark in MAC play by picking up a pair of wins at Akron. Earned the victory in Saturday's nightcap by limiting the Zips to two hits and no runs over 4.0 innings of work in the 7-1 win ... Pitched innings 4-6 in Sunday's win over the Zips, claiming her second win of the series by allowing just one hit and no runs over the 3.0 innings ... Struck out five in the game, to go along with two in her first outing versus Akron ... Also started the game at Butler, allaying just three hits and two runs over her 3.0 innings of work, while striking out one.
Mackensie Kohl, Ohio
Pitcher, Junior, Corona Del Mar, Calif. / Mater Dei
Junior pitcher Mackensie Kohl led Ohio in the circle this past weekend. Kohl pitched 14.0 innings, making two starts and recording two complete games. Kohl recorded her first shut out of the season on Saturday, while allowing only two runs on 12 hits, walked one and struck out eight. Kohl was on fire on Saturday against Bowling Green, pitching a complete game shutout, allowing no runs on seven hits. She did not walk a batter while striking out five in the 2-0 win. Kohl was back in action on Sunday, pitching seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walked one and struck out three batters.
Gabbie Sherman, Kent State
Pitcher, Sophomore, Grand Blaine, Mich. / Millington
Gabbie Sherman had her best outing in a Kent State uniform on Sunday, striking out a career-high 11 batters and allowing just one earned run over 8.2 innings of relief to earn the victory against Case Western Reserve. Sherman held the Spartans scoreless for the first 6.2 innings of her appearance and issued just one walk while facing 32 batters.
Peyton Gottshall, Bowling Green
Pitcher, R-Freshman, Massillon, Ohio (Perry)
Bowling Green’s Payton Gottshall returned to action after missing nearly a month due to injury, and had a 1.87 ERA while allowing opponents to bat just .160 against her. Gottshall allowed six hits in a nine-inning battle with Ohio in the series opener on Friday (April 16), her first game since March 21. Then, on Sunday, she allowed just one (unearned) run and two hits in a complete-game win. Gottshall struck out 11 batters in the latter contest, a 2-1 victory over the Bobcats. Gottshall is now 11-6 with a 1.60 ERA, an opponent batting average of .145 and 183 strikeouts in 109.1 innings pitched this season.
Megan Guericke, Northern Illinois University
INF So.Alexandria, S.D.
Megan Guericke was a offensive force for the Huskies in the bottom of the line up. The Huskie sophomore batted .438, drove in six runs and scored four on seven hits. She began her week with a 2-for-4, two RBI performance in a 9-3 win over Valparaiso. She followed up that game with a 2-for-2 three-RBI showing in an 11-0 shutout over Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant in the series opener. She also went 2-for-2 with an RBI in the second game of the series.
Kennedy Wynn, Ball State
Center Field, Senior, New Albany, Ind. / New Albany
Led the Ball State offense with 10 total bases on the week, with each of her three hits going for multiple bases and driving in at least one RBI ... Started with a two-run double in the series opener at Akron (April 16) to tie the score in Ball State's 6-5 come-from-behind victory ... Led off the seventh inning of Saturday's come-from-behind 5-4 (8) victory with a game-tying solo home run to send the contest into extra innings ... Provided the game-winning solo home run in Sunday's 6-0 victory, sparking the Cardinals 4-run second inning.
Shaidan Knapp, Central Michigan
Outfield, Senior, Vicksburg, Mich. (Vicksburg HS)
Senior outfielder Shaidan Knapp led a Central Michigan offensive onslaught that produced 30 runs in the final three games, all victories, of the Chippewas' series win over Northern Illinois. Hitting from the lead off spot, Knapp compiled a .667 batting average, .750 on base percentage and 1.000 slugging percentage in four games versus the Huskies. She totaled 8 hits, including 3 for extra bases, 5 RBI and 5 runs scored. In CMU's doubleheader sweep on Saturday, Knapp reached based eighth times, going first 2-for-2 with 2 walks and then going 2-for-3 with 2 walks in the second game. On Sunday, Knapp fronted an offensive explosion that generated 15 runs, including 10 in the 1st inning. She went 4-for-4, including a double and triple, with 4 RBI and 4 runs scored. Knapp tops the Chippewas in batting average (.356), doubles (6), total bases (40) and walks (15).
Allie Englant, Ohio
Centerfield, Senior, Long Beach, Calif.
Senior centerfielder Allie Englant led Ohio this week at the plate. Englant hit .538 with seven hits, one double and one run scored. She recorded a .615 slugging percentage while registering a .538 on base percentage. In 13 at bats, she recorded eight total bases and was a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen bases in the four-game series against Bowling Green.
Greta L'Esperance, Bowling Green
CFR-Freshman, Byron, Mich. (Byron)
Bowling Green’s Greta L’Esperance hit .600, going 9-for-15 at the plate, in the Falcons’ four-game series at Ohio. She had at least one hit in each of the four games, and now has a seven-game hitting streak. L’Esperance had a base hit in the opener in Athens, then went 2-for-4 with a stolen base in game two. Then, she had her second four-hit game of the season, going 4-for-4 in a 10-0, five-inning win. L’Esperance stole a base, scored two runs and drove in another run in that victory. In the final game of the weekend, she went 2-for-3 and scored the winning run in a 2-1 victory. On that play, she scored all the way from first on a sacrifice bunt, on a play that has to be seen to be believed. On the season, L’Esperance is batting a team-high .381, and the leads the Falcons in stolen bases (19) and runs scored (25). She is now batting .386 in MAC games.
