MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Jessica LeBeau, Kent State
Pitcher, Freshman, Hartville, Ohio
Jessica LeBeau earned a pair of complete game victories to lead Kent State to a series split with Ohio over the weekend. LeBeau appeared in three games, totaling 25 strikeouts over 16.0 innings and posting a 1.75 ERA. She moved to 3-0 in MAC series openers on Friday, allowing just one run while striking out nine and holding the Bobcats scoreless over the final six innings. She grinded out another win in Saturday’s doubleheader nightcap, throwing a career-high 161 pitches. Her 13 strikeouts are the most by a pitcher in a MAC contest this season. LeBeau kept the Golden Flashes’ comeback hopes alive on Sunday with two scoreless innings and three more strikeouts.
MAC Softball Player of the Week
Faith Hensley, Ball State
Outfield, Junior, Monroe, Ohio / Monroe
Junior outfielder Faith Hensley powered another 4-0 MAC weekend for the Cardinals, leading the squad with a .667 batting average and a 1.333 slugging percentage in the series sweep at Central Michigan … She reach base safely in all four games, raising her season streak to 19 games, while tying for team-high honors with 8 RBIs … She also scored four runs to account for 12 of BSU’s 48 runs in the series … Of her six hits in the series, four were doubles and one was a triple … Her two-out, three-run double in the second inning of the series opener drove in what proved to be the game-winning run … She also tallied a RBI single in the first inning of the game … With Ball State trailing 10-8 in the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader, she tied the score with a two-run triple, and came around to score the eventual game-winning run on a grounder to short … She also had an RBI double in the second inning and a sacrifice fly in the seventh … Overall, she reached base in 11 of her 15 plate appearances on the weekend and added a sacrifice fly for good measure.
Other Nominees
Deborah Jones, Ball State
Pitcher, Sophomore, Unionville, Ind.
Ball State sophomore pitcher Deborah Jones turned in a pair of dominating performances to earn two wins and help guide the Cardinals to a four-game series sweep at Central Michigan … In the opening game of Saturday’s twinbill, Jones struck out a season-high eight batters in a dominating complete game performance in which she limited the Chippewas to three hits and one run … In Sunday’s win, Jones entered in relief and put an end to CMU’s five-run, first-inning rally by inducing a popup to third to end the frame … She would control the Chippewas offense the rest of the day, allowing just three hits over her 4.1 innings of work without surrendering a run … She also registered three strikeouts, including getting the final batter swinging to end the game and improve to 5-2 overall and to 3-0 in MAC play.
Sydney Stefanick, Western Michigan
Pitcher, Senior, Johnstown, OH / Johnstown
Saw time in the circle in three of four games this weekend, recording a victory and a save on the weekend ... Retired the final four batters of the series opener, including three strikeouts, to earn a save in WMU's 12-9 victory ... Threw an eight-inning complete game in WMU's 4-3 victory in the third game of the series, allowing six hits and three earned runs with six strikeouts ... Is one of just two pitchers in the league with both a win and a save in conference play this year ... In addition to earning the win, also reached base in two of her three plate appearances and executed a delayed steal of second that allowed the first Bronco run to score ... Went 4-for-10 at the plate on the weekend with a double, three RBI and five walks, in addition to throwing 12.2 innings during the series and holding UB to a .186 average with 12 strikeouts.
Madi McCrady, Ohio
Pitcher, Senior, Brimfield, Ohio
This week, the Bobcats were led in the circle my senior Madi McCrady. McCrady started and appeared in two games over the weekend, going 2-0 with one complete game. McCrady with 13.1 innings, allowing five runs on 14 hits, walked one and struck out six. McCrady's first start on Saturday, she pitched 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and struck out two in the 8-6 win. In her second game of the weekend, McCrady went the distance, pitching seven innings, allowing one run on eight hits, walked one and struck out four in the 3-1 victory.
Erin Hunt, Toledo
Pitcher, Senior, Toledo
Senior Erin Hunt posted a 3-1 record and 1.88 ERA in 22.1 innings pitched for Toledo in its series win over Northern Illinois last weekend. After allowing four unearned runs in a a 4-3 loss in Friday's series opener, Hunt came back to win the final three games of the series. Highlighting her weekend was a four-hit shutout in Sunday's 1-0 victory in the series finale. She didn't allow a Husky baserunner past second base until the seventh inning..
Hannah Davies, Bowling Green
Pitcher, R-Sophomore, Waterford, Mich. (Our Lady of the Lakes)
Bowling Green’s Hannah Davies had the finest weekend of her collegiate career, going 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA as the Falcons swept Akron. On Friday, Davies earned the win in relief in the series opener, getting the final four outs without allowing a hit. That was the first win of her BGSU career. Then, less than 24 hours later, Davies threw her first complete game – and her first complete-game shutout – as a Falcon, scattering four hits in BG’s 1-0 win. She walked two batters and struck out eight. After allowing a leadoff single in the third inning, Davies retired seven-straight batters and 13 of the next 14 Zips, keeping UA off of the scoreboard before BG finally broke through with a sixth-inning run. In 11 1/3 innings on the weekend, Davies allowed opponents to bat just 179 against her.
Katie Keller, Northern Illinois University
C/OF, JuniorGeneva, Ill./Geneva
With a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .733 on-base percentage, both team bests on the weekend, Katie Keller was the driving force for the Huskie line up during their four-game series at Toledo. Of her four hits, two went for extra bases. Her best performance of the weekend came in a slugfest with the Rockets going 3-for-4, including a double, her league-leading 12th of the season, and a home run, with a walk, two RBIs and three runs scored.
Mackenzie Swinehart, Western Michigan
Centerfield, Senior, Mattawan, MI / Mattawan
Went 3-for-3 with a homer, double, four RBI and four runs scored WMU's game one win ... Hit a walk-off home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth to win game three of the series ... Slugged 1.071 on the weekend to move into the top-10 in the league in slugging percentage at .646 ... Leads the MAC in runs scored this season (25) and hit by pitches (five), while ranking fourth in home runs (5) and sixth in sacrifice bunts (4) ... Is the only player in the MAC to rank in the top-10 in both home runs and sacrifice bunts.
Caroline Spacek, Ohio
First Base, Junior, Beaumont, Texas
Junior first baseman Caroline Spacek led the Bobcats offensively this past week, hitting .385 with five hits, one double, two homeruns, four runs scored and five RBI.Spacek recorded a .923 slugging percentage and a .567 on base percentage, while also drawing a walk and stealing one base. Spacek opened the series with Kent State on Friday with a double. She then followed that up on Saturday, hitting two homeruns in two games - here first two of the season. In game one, Spacek , who was moved up to the two-spot in the lineup, went 2-for-3 with a homerun, two runs scored and three RBO in the 8-6 win. Later in the day, Spacek hit another homerun and recorded two RBI in the Bobcats second game of the afternoon. In the final game of the series, Spacek added a hit and a run scored, helping the Bobcats with the 3-1 victory.
Jenna Kroll, Toledo
Shortstop, Freshman, Toledo
Freshman shortstop Jenna Kroll posted a .500 batting average and .917 slugging percentage to go along with a team-high eight RBI to help Toledo capture a series victory over Northern Illinois. She scored three runs to go along with two doubles and a grand slam. Kroll collected six of her RBIs in a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, including a walk-off grand slam in an 11-3 (5 inn.) win over the Huskies in Game 2. In Sunday’s series finale, Kroll’s game-winning RBI double lifted Toledo to a 1-0 win over NIU. She also closed out the gam by fielding a ground ball in the hole and flipping it to Dayna Denner at third base for the final out.
Kennadie Goth, Kent State
Outfield, Senior, Shelby, Ohio / Shelby
Kennadie Goth batted .571 and extended her reached base streak to 10 games to lead Kent State to a series split with Ohio over the weekend. Goth went 3-for-3 and scored the winning run in the Golden Flashes’ 6-5 walk-off victory on Saturday. She tried to spark another seventh-inning rally during Sunday’s finale with a single but was retired on a fielder’s choice.
Adriana Barlow, Miami University
Infiedler, Junior, St, Louis, Mo
Miami's Adriana Barlow went a perfect 4-for-4 to lead the RedHawks to their 11th straight win in a 15-2 victory over Eastern Kentucky. The junior from St. Louis, Mo. got Miami on the board with a grand slam in the bottom of the first and added two doubles and a single, totaling five RBI and scoring three runs in the game. For the day Barlow's slugging percentage was 2.250
Anna Aguon, Buffalo
UTL, Senior, Vancouver, WA (Liberty)
Senior Anna Aguon had a fantastic weekend at the plate to lead Buffalo to a series split at Western Michigan. Aguon batted .400 with six hits, two home runs, eight RBI and five runs scored while recording a 1.000 slugging percentage and .500 on base percentage in four games. The highlight of the weekend came in game one of Saturday's doubleheader where Aguon hit two home runs, including a grand slam, while recording seven RBI on the game. The two home runs are tied for the UB single-game record while the seven RBI are just two shy of the single-game mark (9) set by Breanne Nasti in 2001. The Vancouver, WA native leads UB with a .302 batting average on the season, including a team-bests in hits (19), RBI (15) and runs scored (13) while holding a .587 slugging percentage and .429 on base percentage to go along with nine steals.
Sammy Dees, Bowling Green
Second Base, R-Sophomore, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (Mission Viejo)
Bowling Green’s Sammy Dees hit .385 as the Falcons won all four games vs. Akron over the weekend. Dees paced the Falcons with four doubles and six RBI in the series, and she had the game-winning RBI in two of the four victories. On Friday, she doubled in the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie and drive home what proved to be the winning run. In that game, she drove in two runs. On Saturday, she had two more hits, including a double, in a 4-1 win over the Zips. Dees scored a run and drove in a run in that win. Then, on Sunday, Dees had two doubles and three RBI in another 5-4 win, and this time her game-winning RBI came on a walk-off double in the seventh. Dees is hitting .309 on the season, and she is batting .371 with a team-leading 12 RBI in the Falcons’ 12 MAC games. She has raised her overall season batting average 76 points over the last three weekends.
