Butler's McNulty Tabbed Player of the Week; Cleveland State's Sito Picks Up Pitcher of the Week Honors

INDIANAPOLIS – Butler junior left fielder Lauren McNulty (Downers Grove, Ill.) has been tabbed the Horizon League Player of the Week, while Cleveland State sophomore Tess Sito (Elyria, Ohio) has been selected the League Pitcher of the Week, for the week beginning April 11.  The accolade is the first of the season for McNulty and the third pitching honor for Sito in 2011.

Butler went 5-1 last week, claiming a midweek Horizon League series from Valparaiso, 2-1, before sweeping Green Bay in three games over the weekend.  The Bulldogs moved into first place in the League with an 11-3 mark with to a League-best 11-3 with nine contests remaining.

Cleveland State split four games last week, dropping a doubleheader at Niagara before sweeping Loyola in League play.  Sito appeared on the rubber in all four contests for the Vikings.

McNulty went 7-for-15 on the week, crossing home plate three times and driving in four.  The junior saved her best for the last game of the week, drilling a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to lift Butler to a 5-4 win and the series sweep.  With a 3-for-3 effort in the final game, McNutly capped a week in which she hit safely in five of the six games.  The left fielder added the game-winning RBI in the Bulldogs’ 2-0 victory against Valparaiso on Tuesday.

Sito was nearly perfect over the weekend, striking out 23 in 17 innings of work, walking just two batters as she carried Cleveland State to two 1-0 victories against Loyola.  In the opening win of the doubleheader, Sito struck out a career-high 15 Ramblers, giving up just two hits.  In the nightcap, the sophomore came back with eight more strikeouts, carrying a no-hitter into the 10th inning of the eventual victory.  On the week, Sito went 2-1 with a 1.21 ERA, totaling 39 strikeouts in 29 innings.

Butler hits the road for a midweek doubleheader at Miami University on Tuesday, April 19, before returning to the Butler Softball Field for its last home games of the season.  The Bulldogs host Horizon League foe Youngstown State in a three-game set starting with a doubleheader on Friday, April 22.  Cleveland State is on the road all week, traveling to a doubleheader at Kent State on Wednesday, April 20, before heading to Chicago for a three-game League series with UIC starting on Friday.