Horizon League Softball Release #12
April 28, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Youngstown State University senior infielder/catcher McKenzie Bedra was tabbed Player of the Week and Cleveland State University sophomore right-hander Amanda Macenko earned Pitcher of the Week. Macenko received her third weekly pitching honor this season, while Bedra captured the League's weekly player award for the first time in 2008.
Player of the Week
McKenzie Bedra, Youngstown State
Sr. * INF * Bowling Green, Ohio
Bedra picked up her second career Player of the Week award after she led Youngstown State to a 3-4 record last week. The YSU senior posted a .524 batting average with four home runs, a double, 10 runs batted in and stole her first base of the season. On Wednesday Bedra turned in a 3-for-4 performance in game two against Saint Francis (Pa.) as she hit a home run, a double and drove in five. In YSU's 7-2 win over Valparaiso on Saturday, she hit two home runs and drove in four. Bedra also tied the school's single-season home run record (10) with a two-run shot in a 13-5 loss to Valparaiso. In addition, the Ohio native became YSU's all-time leader in RBIs.
Pitcher of the Week
Amanda Macenko, Cleveland State
So. * RHP * Brunswick, Ohio
Macenko received the League's Pitcher of the Week award for the seventh time in her career. The CSU sophomore earned the award after she went 5-1 last week to run her record to 23-10 on the year. In League play, Macenko pitched every inning in the Vikings' three-game sweep of Loyola. The Ohio native allowed just two earned runs against the Ramblers. Macenko has pitched all but six innings of CSU's 16 League games this year, owning a 13-3 record and a 1.18 earned-run average.
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending April 27
Alex Boros, Butler
Jr. * 2B * Elyria, Ohio
Boros batted .500 in four games last week. She had seven hits in 14 trips to the plate, including a pair of doubles. She had a .533 on-base percentage for the week and a .643 slugging percentage. Boros finished the week with six hits in Butler's doubleheader at Green Bay.
Amy Powell, Cleveland State
Fr. * C * Streetsboro, Ohio
Powell helped the Vikings to a 5-2 record last week as she hit .412 (7-for-17). In addition, the Ohio native scored four runs, hit three home runs and collected seven RBI.
Sara Junion, Green Bay
Fr. * OF * Egg Harbor, Wis.
Junion batted a team-best .308 for the week with four hits in 13 at-bats. The Green Bay freshman snapped Green Bay's 12-game losing streak with a walk-off double in the 10th inning against Butler as part of a 2-for-5 two RBI game. In game two against the Bulldogs, she went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
Anna Bluemel, Green Bay
Sr. * RHP * Wind Lake, Wis.
Bluemel went 1-1 mark with a 2.62 earned-run average in two starts last week. The Green Bay right-hander went the distance with a 10-inning performance, allowing just two runs on eight hits as Green Bay defeated Butler to snap a 12-game losing streak. For the week, she struck out nine and walked three.
Stephanie Cihlar, Loyola
So. * OF * St. Charles, Ill.
Cihlar batted .353 (6-for-17), scored a pair of runs and swiped four bases in six games for Loyola last week. The LU sophomore hit safely in five of six contests last week and went 2-for-3 in a 1-0 loss to Cleveland State on Sunday. Coming into the week, Cihlar had registered only eight hits on the year.
Amy Solava, Loyola
So. * RHP * New Lenox, Ill.
Solava had a personal five-game winning streak snapped last week as she went 0-4 despite posting a 0.99 earned-run average in five appearances. The LU right-hander did not allow an earned run and struck out five in a tough 1-0 loss at No. 23 DePaul. In a pair of complete-game losses to League-leading Cleveland State over the weekend, Solava scattered 10 hits and surrendered only two earned runs.
Melissa Marinacci, UIC
Jr. * OF * Yorba Linda, Calif.
Marinacci was 7-for-17 (.412) in a 3-2 week for the Flames with five runs scored, one double, four RBI and one home run. In a three-game sweep of Detroit, Marinacci recorded a .583 batting average (7-for-12) with five runs, one double, four RBI and one homer. The homer marked her fifth of the year and 13th of her career.
Sarah Clynes, UIC
So. * RHP * Florissant, Mo.
Clynes totaled three strikeouts in 3.0 innings versus Northwestern on April 22. The junior hurler helped guide UIC to a 7-2 victory with eight strikeouts in a complete-game against Detroit on Sunday. Clynes concluded the week on Sunday with a season-high nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings.
Courtney LaFerle, Valparaiso
Sr. * 1B * Elgin, Ill.
LaFerle went 2-for-5 with three of Valpo's four RBI in a doubleheader sweep of Butler. The Valpo senior drove in the game-winning run in the opener against Youngstown State. In three games against YSU, LaFerle went 5-for-7 with two runs scored and three RBIs.
Andrea Zappia, Valparaiso
Sr. * RHP * Indianapolis, Ind.
Zappia earned all five of Valpo's League victories on the week. In the opening game against Butler, the Indiana native pitched a complete-game one hitter with no walks and eight strikeouts. Zappia also broke the Crusader single-season strikeouts mark in the first game against Wright State. The Valpo right-hander has 161 strikeouts on the year.
Kristen Bradshaw, Wright State
So. * SS * Portsmouth, Ohio
Bradshaw drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk in opener at Dayton. She also went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run in second game against the Flyers. Against Valparaiso on Thursday the WSU shortstop homered in the ninth inning in first game with Valparaiso. She then went 2-for-2 with a RBI and a run scored in the second game versus the Crusaders.
News From Around the League
Butler
The Bulldogs (16-27 overall, 5-12 Horizon League) dropped a pair of games to Valparaiso and Green Bay last week to conclude their regular season.
Butler had 20 hits in its season-ending doubleheader at Green Bay, which was the most hits in a twinbill for the Bulldogs since April 2, when they had 23 hits in a doubleheader against Bellarmine.
Butler's 12 hits in the regular-season finale against Green Bay were the most by the Bulldogs in a Horizon League game this season.
Senior Amy Hyerczyk led the Bulldogs in hitting during the regular season with a .365 average. She had a team-high 50 hits, boosting her all-time record to 198 hits. She also owns Butler's all-time record for doubles with 47.
Senior right-hander Nikki Naffziger appeared in three of Butler's four games last week, giving her 105 career appearances. She is one appearance shy of Butler's all-time record, held by Stephanie Burlein, 1998-2001.
Amy Hyerczyk, Lindsay Schluge Bridget Paine and Erin Jackson each started all 43 games for the Bulldogs this season. Alex Boros started 42 of the team's 43 contests.
Cleveland State
The Vikings (23-11 overall, 10-3 Horizon League) went 5-2 last week, including a three-game sweep against Loyola.
Head coach Angie Nicholson will miss the mid-week doubleheaders with Niagara and Kent State to give birth to her fourth child. She will be back for the weekend series with Valpo.
CSU, which was picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll needs just one win against Valpo to clinch its first regular season title and claim the top seed for next week's tourney.
Sophomore Amanda Macenko enters the week with a 49-20 career record. She ranks third in school history in wins and is the only pitcher to win 20 or more games in a season twice.
Macenko's 230 strikeouts this year ranks her third all-time. She needs 11 to pass Amy Kyler (240 in 1996) to move into second and 96 to break Kyler's school mark of 325 set in 1997.
Cleveland State takes on IPFW in a doubleheader on Tuesday. On Wednesday the Vikings welcome Toledo for a pair of games and then close out the week with a three-game series at Loyola.
Detroit
The Titans (10-23 overall, 4-10 Horizon League) lost three straight games to UIC in their only action last week.
In Sunday's home season finale, the Titans rallied twice late in the game to tie the Flames, but UDM fell 11-2 in 10 innings.
The extra-inning game was Detroit's fifth of the season. The Titans hold a 1-4 record in those five games.
Freshman Breana Sesoko is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak. Sesoko is hitting .333 during the streak (and .313 on the season) with six RBI, two doubles and a home run. She has driven in a run in four of her last five games after not recording an RBI in 12 straight contests
Sophomore Courtney Gill struck out looking in Saturday's nightcap against UIC, which marked just the fourth time this season that Gill has struck out.
UDM returns to action Thursday on the road against Michigan State before heading to Loyola for a three-game series beginning on Saturday.
Green Bay
The Phoenix (8-20 overall, 2-8 Horizon League) went 2-2 last week.
Green Bay began the week by dropping a pair of road games to Wisconsin. The Phoenix then opened the home portion of its home schedule against Butler after it played its first 26 games on the road.
The Phoenix defeated Butler twice, taking the first game 3-2 and the second by a count of 4-2.
Green Bay had its first six home games canceled because to weather.
The Phoenix is allowing just 3.2 runs per game during the last five contests.
Green Bay is now 2-0 in extra inning games this year after winning a 10-inning affair against Butler on Sunday.
This week, the Phoenix travels to Minnesota before it opens a three-game home series against Youngstown State beginning on Saturday.
Loyola
The Ramblers (15-17 overall, 9-4 Horizon League) went 0-5-1 last week.
Loyola opened the week with a 1-0 loss to DePaul in eight innings.
The Ramblers then dropped the first game of a doubleheader to Notre Dame. In the second game, LU tied the Irish 2-2. Loyola had not tied an opponent since its 3-3 draw at Wisconsin on April 7. LU then dropped three straight games to Cleveland State at home.
Loyola's current six-game winless streak matches its longest of the year.
Senior Kat Krause became Loyola's career RBI leader against Notre Dame. Krause, who already holds the school's career home runs mark (32), has driven in 91 runs in her career.
Fellow senior Nora Schober is also near the top of LU's career RBI mark as she has driven in 85 runs in her career. In addition, Schober has hit safely in three straight games and in 12 of the Ramblers' last 15 outings.
Loyola closes out the regular season by playing four home games this week, with a single contest versus Western Michigan on April 29, preceding a three-game weekend series versus League foe Detroit, May 3-4.
The Ramblers have hit .275 and posted a 1.73 team earned-run average at home this season but are only 5-6 at Loyola Softball Park.
UIC
The Flames (21-28 overall, 12-6 Horizon League) went 3-2 this past week.
The Flames opened the week with a pair of non-League losses to Northwestern on Tuesday and DePaul on Thursday.
UIC responded to the midweek losses with a three-game sweep of Detroit on the road. The Flames claimed the first two games by a combined score of 18-2.
In the series finale on Sunday UIC defeated the Titans 11-2 in 10 innings. The Flames were tied in the top half of the 10th, but UIC scored nine runs in the frame and put the game out of reach.
UIC's victory on Sunday was just its second extra inning affair this season. UIC's last extra-inning contest came in a 5-4 loss against Long Beach State on Feb. 10.
Offensively this past week, UIC outscored its opponents, 30-18 and had six players bat over .300. Sophomore Brooke Frydendall led the way with a .563 batting average (9-for-16).
UIC returns to action this week as they welcome DePaul on Wednesday. The Flames then close out the week with a three-game series against Wright State beginning on Saturday.
Valparaiso
The Crusaders (29-15 overall, 11-4 Horizon League) played seven League games last week and posted a 5-2 record.
Valpo opened the week with a doubleheader sweep against Butler before splitting a pair of games against Wright State. The Crusaders then closed out the week by taking two of three from Youngstown State.
The Crusaders set program record for victories in a season with their opening-game victory against YSU.
Senior right-hander Andrea Zappia and junior lefty Stephanie Kelly combined to allow just one Butler baserunner past first base in the two-game sweep of Butler on Tuesday.
Senior catcher Shannon Robinson drilled two doubles as part of a 3-for-4, three RBI game against YSU on Sunday. She is now tied for Valpo's all-time career doubles record with 38.
As a team, Valpo set a single-season RBI record (162) when Robinson drove in junior Karen Korb in the sixth inning Sunday.
Valpo stole 25 bases on the week. The Crusaders have five of the top eight base stealers in the League and have 123 total stolen bases, 50 more than any other circuit squad.
The Crusaders return to the field on Tuesday as they welcome Notre Dame. Valpo will then head North to take on Cleveland State this weekend.
Wright State
The Raiders (25-23 overall, 10-7 Horizon League) played four games last week and went 3-1.
The Raiders hit at least home run one in all four games last week and had nine altogether, including seven in a doubleheader sweep at Dayton.
WSU hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the opening game at Dayton as freshmen Mollie Berry, Ashleigh Jackson and Justine Shilt accomplished the feat.
Wright State now has hit 54 round-trippers as a team in 48 games.
WSU has dropped seven League contests on the year, six of those came in the final inning, including Thursday's opener with Valparaiso as the Crusaders scored twice in the ninth.
The Raiders have hit just .232 in those six games and have stranded 43 runners.
Senior Jherica Williams was just 1-for-5 on the week, but had a .750 on-base percentage in the four games as she drew seven walks and was hit by a pitch four times.
Going into the week, Williams had been hit just once the entire season.
The Raiders head to IPFW on Wednesday before closing out the regular season with a three-game series at UIC.
Youngstown State
The Penguins (8-27 overall, 4-12 Horizon League) posted a 3-4 record this past week.
YSU opened the week with a pair of losses to Canisius on Tuesday before collecting a pair of victories on Wednesday against Saint Francis (Pa.). The Penguins closed out the week by dropping two of three to Valparaiso on the road.
Senior McKenzie Bedra became YSU's all-time leader in runs batted in last week. She owns the record with 117.
Freshman Rochelle Vanyi tied the school's single-season home run record with her 10th round-tripper of the season in a 13-5 loss to Valparaiso on Sunday.
She is also the third freshman since 2003 to record 10 home runs in a season.
Junior Kristen McDonnell turned in a solid week at the plate, batting .400 (8-for-20) with five runs scored, three doubles a triple and two home runs. She also slugged at a .950 clip for the week and raised her overall batting average to .303.
With four home runs against Valparaiso on Sunday, YSU tied the single-game home run team record and broke the team's single-season home run mark which stands at 36. The old record of 33 was reached in 2003 and 2006.
Youngstown State travels to Pittsburgh on Tuesday before closing out the week against Green Bay on the road.
