Klonowski Earns Player of the Week Accolade; Esparza Collects Pitcher of the Week Honors

INDIANAPOLIS – Youngstown State senior first baseman Kim Klonowski (Canton, Mich.) has been tabbed the Horizon League Player of the Week, while Butler sophomore Jenny Esparza (Avon, Ind.) has been selected the League Pitcher of the Week, for the week beginning April 4.  The accolades are the first of the season for each player.

Youngstown State went 4-1 last week, collecting a key road series win at UIC over the weekend.  Holding a 19-14 record, the Penguins sit just one victory from their first 20-win season since 2006.  Butler went 2-2 in non-conference play early in the week before taking two of three games in a League series versus Cleveland State.  The Bulldogs are one-half game out of the top spot in the Horizon League with a 6-2 conference mark.

Klonowski went 7-for-15 on the week, crushing her first two home runs of the season, driving in four while recording a hit in four of the five contests.  In the Penguins’ doubleheader versus Toledo, the senior belted her first homer of the season in a 10-0 rout that capped the sweep.  Her second long ball of the week came in the opener of the League series on Saturday, helping push Youngstown State to a 6-3 win over UIC.

Esparza recorded the victory in three of Butler’s four victories on the week, including both of the Bulldogs’ League wins over Cleveland State.  On Sunday, the sophomore tossed all 16 innings in Butler’s 2-1 triumph that gave the squad the series against the Vikings.  In the three-game set, Esparza allowed just one earned run in 23 innings, tallying 18 strikeouts.  The righthander collected her first win of the week on Wednesday, when she tossed a complete game in Butler’s 2-1 victory over Dayton, striking out 15 Flyers in seven innings of work.

The Bulldogs remain at the Butler Softball Field for two Horizon League series this week, beginning with Valparaiso’s visit on April 12-13, with a doubleheader slated for Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET.  Butler hosts Green Bay over the weekend, beginning on Sat., April 16, at 1 p.m. ET.  Youngstown State also is at home on the week, welcoming Detroit to McCune Park for a three-game set beginning on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET.  The Penguins square off with Valparaiso on the weekend, with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday.