Horizon League Softball Release #10
April 14, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Valparaiso University senior infielder Mallory Gill was tabbed Player of the Week and Wright State University sophomore lefty Sharon Palma earned Pitcher of the Week. Both players received the awards for the first time in their respective careers.
Player of the Week
Mallory Gill, Valparaiso
Sr. * INF * Beloit, Wis.
Gill helped Valparaiso to a 4-0 record this past week. The Wisconsin native finished the week with a .571 batting average (8-for-14), four home runs, one double, six runs scored and 10 RBI. The Valpo senior entered the week with just three career home runs. Gill's 10 RBI for the week surpassed her RBI count in each of her first three seasons. The Wisconsin native closed out the week by going 3-for-7 with three runs scored and two RBI in the doubleheader sweep of then-League leader UIC on Friday. She also had her first career multi-homer game in the nightcap.
Pitcher of the Week
Sharon Palma, Wright State
So. * LHP * Grand Rapids, Mich.
Palma captured a pair of victories this past week and allowed just three earned runs. The Michigan native began the week on the road against Toledo and helped Wright State to an 8-6 victory over the Rockets on Tuesday. Against UT, Palma struck out four and allowed one earned run in 5.2 innings of work. Palma returned to the circle on Saturday against Youngstown State and allowed just one run in 6.0 innings to pick up the win. In the victory against YSU, the WSU lefty struck out three and did not walk a batter.
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending April 13
Courtney Gill, Detroit
So. * C * Surrey, B.C.
Gill raised her batting average to .450 with a 6-for-11 week. The UDM catcher also drove in the Titans' lone run in 6-1 loss at Cleveland State on Thursday. As of April 6, Gill ranked eighth in the NCAA with an on-base percentage of .554.
Kelli Short, Detroit
Sr. * RHP * Toledo, Ohio
Short took the loss against Cleveland State (1-0) in her only appearance this week. The UDM senior struck out six and allowed just one run which came in the bottom of the seventh inning. Short's loss marked the sixth time this season that she has allowed two or fewer runs in a game and the fifth time that she has struck out at least five.
Christa Coppus, Cleveland State
Jr. * SS * Tiffin, Ohio
Coppus hit .455 in the four games (5-11) with a run scored, two doubles, a triple, a home run and three RBI. She walked twice, struck out twice and stole one base. She had a .867 fielding percentage and a 1.091 slugging percentage.
Amanda Macenko, Cleveland State
So. * RHP * Brunswick, Ohio
Macenko threw three complete games last week, including a 1-0 shutout against Detroit on Thursday. For the week, the Ohio native went 2-1 with a 1.05 earned run average and tossed 20 innings. Macenko also allowed just four runs (three earned), struck out 16 and walked three batters.
Angie Funston, Loyola
So. * 3B * Saint John, Ind.
Funston went 2-for-3 with a double, a stolen base, a run scored and a pair of RBI in Loyola's 4-3 victory over Northern Illinois on April 8. The sophomore doubled home the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the first inning as the Ramblers held on for their fourth straight home win. Funston has six multi-hit games this season and the Ramblers are 6-0 in those contests.
Amy Solava, Loyola
So. * RHP * New Lenox, Ill.
Solava tossed a complete-game five-hitter in Loyola's 4-3 victory over Northern Illinois on April 8. The right-hander struck out four Huskies en route to her second straight win. Over her last two starts, Solava has allowed only one earned run in 14.0 innings of work. She leads the team with eight wins and 74 strikeouts.
Sarah Clynes, UIC
Jr. * C * Florissant, Mo.
Clynes was 5-for-6 with three runs, one home run and one RBI. The UIC junior picked up her lone RBI after hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. The solo shot marked Clynes' eighth homer on the season. Clynes was 3-for-3 with two runs, one RBI and a solo homer versus Valparaiso in game one of the doubleheader on April 11 at Flames Field. The junior was then 2-for-3 with one run in game two of the series.
Andrea Zappia, Valparaiso
Sr. * RHP * Indianapolis, Ind.
Zappia struck out six batters a complete-game three-hitter in the opener of Valpo's doubleheader with IPFW on Wednesday. The senior right-hander came on in relief in both ends of the Friday doubleheader against UIC, earning the save in the opener with a perfect two inning stint as she earned her 19th career save. Zappia went on to capture the win in the nightcap, tossing 5.1 innings and striking out nine UIC batters.
Jherica Williams, Wright State
So. * LHP * Grand Rapids, Mich.
Williams batted .688 with three home runs, four doubles, nine runs scored and 15 RBI. In the Raiders' three-game sweep against Youngstown State over the weekend, Williams went 7-for-9 with two home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI and seven runs scored.
Katy Potokar, Youngstown State
Fr. * SS * Grove City, Ohio
Potokar led the Penguins with a .429 batting average in five games last week. Potokar turned in a 3-for-5 performance in YSU's 14-12 win over Toledo. In the first game against Wright State, Potokar went 2-for-3 with a run scored and belted a double in the series finale.
News From Around the League
Butler
The Bulldogs (14-18 overall, 3-5 Horizon League) went 0-3 this past week.
BU dropped a doubleheader with IUPUI (6-1 game one; 3-1 game two) last Monday and then lost 7-0 to Eastern Illinois on Thursday.
Butler had four games canceled by weather last week. The Bulldogs attempted to play a doubleheader against Eastern Illinois, despite persistent rain.
The first game experienced a two-hour rain delay, causing the second game to be called because of darkness. Butler then lost all three games of a three-game series with Detroit to cold weather.
Senior first-baseman Amy Hyerczyk hit safely in all three Butler games last week, boosting her season batting average to a team-leading .384. Hyerczyk has hit safely in her last four games and seven of her last eight.
Sophomore utility player Jen Arriaga led the Bulldogs in hitting on the week with five hits in nine trips to the plate. She had two hits each against Eastern Illinois and IUPUI.
BU returns to action on Wednesday as it heads to Indiana State for a doubleheader. The Bulldogs will then take on Wright State on Thursday before closing out the week with a three-game series against Youngstown State beginning on Saturday.
Cleveland State
The Vikings (18-9 overall, 6-2 Horizon League) went 3-1 last week.
CSU split its twinbill with Eastern Michigan on Tuesday. The Vikings lost 3-1 in game one, but rebounded with a 5-1 victory in game two. On Thursday CSU swept Detroit (1-0 game one; 6-1 game two) to move into a second place tie in the League standings with Valparaiso.
Sophomore right-hander Amanda Macenko went the distance to get the win in both League wins over Detroit, hurling a three-hitter in a 1-0 win and a five-hitter in a 6-1 win.
Macenko is 13-8 on the year and leads the circuit in seven stat categories, including wins, appearances (25), ERA (1.33), opposing batting average (.190), innings pitched (142.1), strikeouts (151) and strikeouts looking (45).
Junior shortstop Christa Coppus had another great week at the plate, hitting .455 (5-for-11) in four games to raise her season batting average to .410 (third in the Horizon League) for the season.
Freshman right-hander Brittany Bate improved her record to 3-0 by throwing a six-hitter in a 5-1 victory in game two over Eastern Michigan last Tuesday.
After struggling to hit .196 in the first 18 games, junior infielder Amanda Houchin, has raised her batting average to .241 over the last two weeks. Over that span, Houchin is 9-for-28 (.321) with three doubles, and six runs scored in nine games.
The Vikings return action on Tuesday with a doubleheader against Youngstown State. CSU will then travel to UIC for a three-game series over the weekend.
Detroit
The Titans (7-18 overall, 1-7 Horizon League) went 1-3 this past week.
UDM split its doubleheader with Oakland on Tuesday. The Titans fell in game one (5-1), but bounced back in game two (4-3).
On Thursday, UDM dropped a pair of games to Cleveland State (1-0 game one; 6-1 game two).
The Titans were scheduled to play a weekend series against Butler, but the three-game set was canceled.
Detroit has missed 11 of its last 20 scheduled games because of weather, including five League contests.
In the Titans' second game against Oakland on Tuesday, freshman infielder Kristen Sclater had a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh which propelled the Titans to a 4-3 comeback win.
Sclater's RBI single was just her third RBI of the year.
UDM will meet Bowling Green for a doubleheader on Wednesday before welcoming Green Bay for a three-game weekend series beginning on Saturday.
Detroit was scheduled to face IPFW in a doubleheader on Monday, but the twinbill was canceled.
Green Bay
The Phoenix (6-15 overall, 0-5 Horizon League) had all five of its League games canceled this past week.
Green Bay has still not played a home game this season. The Phoenix was scheduled to open its home schedule against Cleveland State last Wednesday.
Green Bay's last victory came against Cornell (3-2) on March 19. Since then, the Phoenix has had four of its last 10 scheduled games canceled, including its League opener against Valparaiso.
The Phoenix is currently in the midst of a seven-game losing streak, which is its longest of the season.
Green Bay has allowed 50 runs over its last five games (10.0 per game) after yielding 70 in its first 16 games (4.4 per game).
Green Bay heads to Detroit this weekend for a three-game series beginning on Saturday.
Loyola
The Ramblers (11-15 overall, 5-3 Horizon League) defeated Norther Illinois 4-3 on Tuesday in its only game of the week.
Each of the Ramblers' last three games have been decided by one run. With its victory over the Huskies, LU extended its home winning streak to four games.
The Ramblers had game two of their doubleheader with the Huskies and a twin bill at Green Bay canceled due to inclement weather last week. Loyola has had four dates washed out in the last two and a half weeks.
Sophomore outfielder Ellen Kresl has hit safely in nine of her last 13 appearances, posting a .403 season average. Kresl is on pace to eclipse the Loyola single-season record for batting average (.389)
Sophomore right-hander Amy Solava has allowed only one earned run in her last two starts, spanning 14.0 innings of work. Solava picked up the victory against NIU to run her record to 8-8.
Loyola will play host to crosstown rivals DePaul on Tuesday and UIC on Wednesday before heading to Wright State for a three-game weekend series.
A year ago the Ramblers knocked off the then-No. 14 Blue Demons, 3-0 at Loyola Softball Park on May 2, to record the team's first win over the Blue Demons since 1995.
UIC
The Flames (16-23 overall, 7-3 Horizon League) dropped a pair of League contests last week to Valparaiso (12-10 game one; 10-5 game two).
Junior Sarah Clynes batted .833 (5-for-6) with a home run and one RBI in two games against Valpo. In the circle, Clynes struck out four batters, but took the loss in game one.
Junior Mellissa Marinacci was 2-for-7 (.286) with one run and one RBI
In game one against the Valparaiso, UIC trailed by just one run heading into the top of the seventh inning (4-3), but Valpo scored eight runs to in the frame to put the game out of reach.
As a team, the Flames collected 15 hits in the twinbill against Valpo.
UIC returns to action on Wednesday as it heads to crosstown rival Loyola for a doubleheader. The Flames close out the week with a three-game series against Cleveland State beginning on Saturday.
Valparaiso
The Crusaders (23-12 overall, 6-2 Horizon League) went 4-0 last week with a pair of victories over UIC (12-3 game one; 10-5 game two).
Valpo began the week by taking a pair of games from IPFW on Wednesday.
The Crusaders scored eight times before making an out in the opener against IPFW on Wednesday.
Senior infielder Mallory Gill hit four home runs last week. Prior to last week, Gill had only hit three home runs in her entire career at Valpo.
Senior Shannon Robinson broke Valpo's career hits record on Friday against UIC with a sixth-inning single in the nightcap. Robinson's single was her 171st career hit.
Robinson hit .467 (7-for-15) for the week with six runs scored and four stolen bases after being utilized in the leadoff spot for the first time in her career.
Junior outfielder Ashley Wolter hit her first career grand slam in the first inning of the opener against IPFW.Freshman Jill Jacobson made her first League appearance on Friday and earned the win in the opener against UIC. Jacobson held UIC to just one run in 4.2 innings of work while striking out five batters.
Valparaiso heads to Purdue for a doubleheader on Tuesday. Valpo has a two-game winning streak against the Boilermakers, including a wild 12-11 victory last year at home.
Wright State
The Raiders (20-17 overall, 8-2 Horizon League) went 4-1 last week and moved into first place in the League standings after it swept Youngstown State over the weekend.
This past week the Raiders outscored the opposition 45-16 in five games, including a 31-4 margin in a three-game sweep of Youngstown State.
Wright State hit .379 as a team while holding its opponents to a .214 average. WSU also had 11 doubles and hit seven home runs during those five games, raising the team's home run total on the season to 44.
After senior catcher Jherica Williams went 5-for-5 with two home runs and 10 RBI in the doubleheader against Youngstown State on Saturday, Justine Shilt nearly matched the feat in just one game on Sunday as the freshman designated player hit her first two collegiate home runs, a three-run shot in the third and a grand slam an inning later.
Williams has now hit safely in 25 straight games, hitting .598 with all 12 of her home runs and all but one of her 58 RBI for the season coming during that stretch.
The Raiders visit Miami (Ohio) on Tuesday and Butler on Thursday before hosting Loyola over the weekend.
Youngstown State
The Penguins (6-22 overall, 2-9 Horizon League) went 1-4 last week.
YSU opened the week with doubleheader split against Toledo on Wednesday. The Penguins claimed game one 14-12, but dropped the nightcap 13-5. The Penguins then went on to lose three more games to League foe Wright State.
Senior McKenzie Bedra moved into a tie for second place on the YSU all-time RBI list with 102.
Freshman Kim Klonowski hit her first career home run - a grand slam - against Toledo in a 14-12 win. It marked just the ninth grand slam in school history.
Freshman Rochelle Vanyi turned in a productive week at the plate, batting .385 with a double, home run and a .692 slugging percentage.
YSU returns to action on Tuesday as it welcomes Cleveland State for a doubleheader. The Penguins then travel to Robert Morris for twinbill on Thursday before opening a three-game weekend series at home against Butler.
