MAC Softball Player of the Week
Anna Aguon, Buffalo
UTL, Senior, Vancouver, WA (Liberty)
Senior Anna Aguon had a stellar week at the plate to lead Buffalo to a doubleheader sweep of Kent State and a series split with Northern Illinois. Aguon batted .464 with nine hits, two doubles, five home runs, six RBI and nine runs scored while recording a 1.368 slugging percentage and .545 on base percentage in six games. After going 2-of-4 at the plate in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader, Aguon led off game two with a solo home run and would later blast another home run in the fourth to lead the Bulls to victory. With her four runs scored that series, the senior because the program's career runs scored leader. She continued with the long ball in the series-opening win against Northern Illinois on Friday as she smacked a solo shot in the third inning. She continued her lead off magic on Saturday with a solo home run to start the game and also hit a two-run home run in the second game of the doubleheader. On the season, the Vancouver, WA native is leading the Bulls in batting average (.364), hits (47), runs scored (33), home runs (12), RBI (29), doubles (8), and slugging percentage (.721).
MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Courtney Vierstra, Miami University
Pitcher, Senior, Thornville, Ohio/Lakewood
Courtney Vierstra's amazing season continue as she had five wins in five appearance last week, including two wins on the road against Ball State and three on the road against Bowling Green. The senior from Thornville, Ohio allowed opposing batters an average of just .177 for the week, striking out 28 batters, walking only seven and allowing only six earned runs. After starting games on Friday and Saturday against Bowling Green, Vierstra pitched her third perfect game of the season on Sunday. Vierstra faced the minimum 15 batters over five innings, striking out five Falcons in the 9-0 RedHawk win.
Other Nominees
Sam Mallinder, Northern Illinois University
UTL, So., Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North
Sam Mallinder played a key role in NIU's victories at Buffalo over the weekend. The Huskie sophomore batted .444 with four hits, all for extra bases, for a 1.556 slugging percentage. She also drove in five runs, while scoring three. She went 1-for-3 with three RBIs in NIU's 11-4 victory in the second half of Saturday's doubleheader. With the Huskies already leading 5-2, Mallinder broke the game wide open with a three-run homer to left center. She topped that performance going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and a double on Sunday. Mallinder hit a lead off homer in the second and another in the fourth in the 7-5 win over the Bulls.
Lauren Erickson, Toledo
Outfield, Freshman, Toledo
Freshman Lauren Erickson led the Rockets with a. 500 batting average and five RBIs in their weekend split at Ball State. She also scored two runs and stole a team-high two bases.
Faith Hensley, Ball State
Outfield, Junior, Monroe, Ohio (Monroe)
Senior outfielder Faith Hensley put together another strong week for the Cardinals, batting .500 (9-for-18) over Ball State’s six games last week. She reached base safely in all six contests, including logging at least one hit in five of the six outings. Of her nine hits, three were doubles and one was a home run. In a 4-for-4 effort in Saturday’s nightcap victory over Toledo, Hensley smashed three doubles, drove in three RBI and scored three runs. She followed by capping the weekend with an extra-inning, walk-off RBI single in Sunday’s 5-4 (8) win over the Rockets. She also stole three bases over the course of the week, while drawing two walks and being hit by a pitch once.
Jessie Holzman, Akron
1B, Sr., Medina, Ohio
Senior Jessie Holzman turned in a stellar week for Akron leading the Zips to a 4-2 ledger, including taking three of four contests on the road at Western Michigan. She registered a team-high .438 batting average, while pacing the squad in hits with seven. In the opening game versus Ohio on April 27, Holzman finished the affair 2-for-4 at the plate for Akron. In the Zips' 3-2 victory over Western Michigan on May 1, a two-out single from Holzman placed a pair of runners on base for Akron in the fifth before Atlantis Taufa delivered an RBI single to drive in Laurel DeVoe. She added a pair of 2-for-3 efforts in the final two games of the series, including a 9-4 win in the series finale.
Allie Cummins, Miami University
Catcher, Junior, West Chester, Ohio / Lakota West
Allie Cummins had a record-setting week for the Miami RedHawks, earning seven walks for a season total of 46 that breaks both the Miami and MAC single-season records. Cummins also had two home runs, which ties the Miami single-season record at 12 with teammate Karli Spaid. For the week, the junior from West Chester, Ohio was on-base more often than not with a .609 on-base percentage and, with two home runs and a double among her six hits for the week, her slugging percentage for the week was an amazing .867.
Megan Turner, Kent State
Infielder, Junior, Warren, Ohio / Champion
Megan Turner posted a .636/.714/1.000 slash line to lead Kent State to weekend series sweep of Central Michigan. Turner was credited with a pair of RBIs in Friday’s 3-2 win and also delivered the hit that produced the game-winning run following an error. She launched her seventh home run of the season during Saturday’s first game and then hit a RBI double in the first inning for an early lead in the nightcap. For the week, Turner went 7-for-14 at the plate with four RBIs.
Jessica LeBeau, Kent State
Pitcher, FreshmanHartville, Ohio / Lake
Jessica LeBeau helped Kent State to its first MAC series sweep of the season with a pair of victories against Central Michigan. LeBeau won both of her starts against the Chippewas and totaled 16 strikeouts while allowing just three runs. The freshman also threw a complete game at Buffalo on Wednesday and limited opponents to a .188 batting average over 20 innings for the week.
Ally Marcano, Buffalo
Pitcher, Graduate StudentMiddletow, NY (Middletown
Graduate student pitcher Ally Marcano had a great week for Buffalo as she went 3-0 in four starts. The Middletown, NY recorded a 2.42 ERA, allowing just six earned runs and striking out eight batters in 22.1 innings of work. She got things started in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Kent State, allowing just five hits in a complete game effort. On Friday, she opened the series against Northern Illinois, striking out four batters and giving up just five hits and she then followed that up with a win in game two of the series on Sunday, allowing just one hit in a complete game shutout.
Olivia Stefanoni, Akron
P, Fr., Hudson, Ohio
Akron freshman pitcher Olivia Stefanoni turned in a strong week for the Zips registering a 2-0 record on the strength of a team-leading 1.75 ERA over 16.0 innings, striking out 11. In Akron's 7-2 victory over Ohio on April 28, Stefanoni finished 2-for-2 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored, while striking out four batters. Akron assumed a 3-0 lead in the second inning of game two on the strength of the first career home run from Stefanoni, who hammered a 3-2 offering over the fence in left field. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Kalli Macintosh-Houlder, Tiffany Stevens and Stefanoni collected back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases for Laurel DeVoe. Striking the big blow in the contest with her team-leading fifth home run of the season was DeVoe, who struck a 1-0 pitch over the wall in straight-away center field for a grand slam home run. Stefanoni worked out of trouble in the circle in the top of the seventh as the Bobcats left the bases loaded after scoring a pair of runs to account for the 7-3 final. In the Zips' 3-2 triumph past Western Michigan on May 1, Stefanoni kept the Broncos at bay on the afternoon striking out six while the Broncos stranded eight runners on base. In the series finale, a 9-4 Akron win, Stefanoni earned the start for the Zips and worked 2.0 innings and didn't surrender a hit, while striking out one. On the season, she has worked a team-high 81.0 innings and fanned a team-best 86 batters.
