Butler's Boros, Loyola's Gardner Nab Horizon League Weekly Softball Honors

INDIANAPOLIS -- Butler freshman shortstop Kristen Boros (Elyria, Ohio) has been named the Horizon League Softball Player of the Week, while Loyola sophomore Brittany Gardner (Orland Park, Ill.) has earned Horizon League Softball Pitcher of the Week honors, for the week of April 2-8.

Boros helped Butler (13-22, 5-4 Horizon) to a 4-1 record last week, as the Bulldogs swept a midweek doubleheader from Indiana State before capturing two of three games from UIC to climb the Horizon League ladder. Gardner appeared in five of Loyola’s (13-16, 6-3 Horizon) six contests last week, turning in a 4-1 mark.

Going 6-for-14 on the week, Boros led Butler to a series-opening win over UIC, recording two hits, including her first career home run, in the Bulldogs’ 4-3 victory on Friday afternoon. The next day, Boros helped Butler clinch the series, going 2-for-2 with three runs scored in a 9-0 win.

Boros had RBI in each of Butler’s wins over Indiana State, going a combined 2-for-5 in the twinbill. On the week, Boros posted a 1.243 OPS.

As Loyola went 4-2 last week, Gardner compiled a 4-1 record with a 1.67 ERA. The sophomore struck out 29 in 29.1 innings of work.

Gardner tossed a three-hit shutout and struck out five in a 1-0 victory over a DePaul team that has been receiving votes in the national polls, then tossed 17.0 total innings over three games, earning the win in each contest, while striking out 17, in a three-game sweep of Youngstown State.

In Horizon League action this spring, the 2011 Horizon League Newcomer of the Year hasn’t missed a beat, going 5-0 with a 1.02 ERA, three shutouts and 41 strikeouts in 34.1 innings of work. The lefthander has won seven of her last eight decisions since opening the year 2-4.

Butler will play two non-conference doubleheaders, taking on Morehead State on Tuesday, April 10, before meeting IUPUI on Thursday, April 12. The Bulldogs will wrap up the week with a three-game Horizon League series at Green Bay, starting on Saturday, April 14. Loyola will be in conference action throughout the week, hosting UIC for a three-game set on April 11-12 before Cleveland State comes to the Loyola Softball Park on April 14-15.

Softball Player of the Week:
February 14: Brittany Duncan, Valparaiso
February 21: Vicky Rumph, Youngstown State
February 28: Jordan Rutkowski, Valparaiso
March 6: Jordan Rutkowski, Valparaiso
March 13: Jesse Marinec, Valparaiso
March 20: Haley Thomas, Youngstown State
March 26: Haley Thomas, Youngstown State
April 2: Jordan Rutkowski, Valparaiso; Dara Toman, Cleveland State
April 9: Kristen Boros, Butler