Softball Weekly Release #11

April 30, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Player of the Week

Michele Penney, Cleveland State
Senior * OF * Ravenna, Ohio
Penney was instrumental in CSU's sweep of UIC, hitting .500 (5-for-10) with a double, two home runs, four RBI and a 1.200 slugging percentage. In the opener against UIC, she doubled and scored the Vikings' first run and then an inning later hit a two-run home run to put CSU up for the first time. In the series finale, her solo homer in the second put the Vikings up 2-1.

Pitcher of the Week

Nikki Naffziger, Butler
Junior * RHP * Indianapolis, Ind.
Naffziger turned in a complete game performance to lead Butler past League-leading Loyola, 3-1. The right-hander allowed just three hits and one run in seven innings of work in the victory. She matched her season-high with nine strikeouts against the Ramblers. Naffziger also pitched in relief in Butler's other two games against the Ramblers, allowing no runs and no hits in 2.2 innings of relief work. She compiled a 0.72 earned run average for the three-game series in Chicago.

Other Top Performances From the Week Ending April 29

JoAnna Zumbrun, Butler
Senior * 2B * Spokane, Wash.
Zumbrun batted a team-best .429 in Butler's four games last week. She hit safely in all four games and had multiple hits in two of the four contests. She scored two of Butler's five runs on the week and had one of the team's five extra base hits on the week. She led the Bulldogs against league-leading Loyola with five hits in 10 trips to the plate (.500).

Amanda Macenko, Cleveland State
Freshman * RHP * Brunswick, Ohio
Macenko had a hand in all three victories over UIC, tallying a 2-0 record and a save. In 14.1 innings of work, she gave up just four earned runs (1.95 ERA) with three walks and five strikeouts. In the series opener, she earned a save after recording the final out to stave off a furious Flames rally. Macenko then hurled a pair of complete games, allowing one run in the first and two earned runs in the second.

Michelle Baggio, Detroit
Senior * INF * Windsor, Ontario
Baggio hit an even .500 in two games this week after missing most of the last three weeks after suffering an injury. In her return, she went 3-for-4 and in Sunday's finale, she drove in what proved to be the game-winning run with her three-run homer. That homer, her 15th career long ball, moved her into third place all alone in the Titan record book.

Adrienne Baran, Detroit
Senior * RHP * Richmond, Mich.
Baran threw a complete-game, six-hitter against UWGB in a 4-3 Titan win on Sunday. She struck out three in picking up her fourth win of the season.

Sarah Clynes, UIC
Sophomore * P / DP * St. Louis, Mo.
Clynes posted a .636 batting average in a three-game series versus Cleveland State at home this weekend. Clynes was 7-for-11 with three runs scored, a team-high two doubles and three RBI. Clynes owned a .909 slugging percentage, a .692 on-base percentage and a 1.000 fielding percentage.

Krista Crosson, Loyola
Sophomore * RHP * Lake Stevens, Wash.
Crosson went 1-0 in a pair of appearances for the Ramblers last week and has now won six of her last seven decisions. The right-hander tossed her fourth shutout of the year, scattering seven hits and striking out two in a 3-0 victory over Butler on April 28. She then threw a pair of innings in Loyola's 3-1 win over the Bulldogs on Sunday. She has not allowed a base on balls in any of her last four appearances, spanning 22 innings.

Nora Schober, Loyola
Senior * CF * Palos Park, Ill.
Schober batted .429 (3-for-7) with a triple, two steals and a pair of RBI as Loyola went 2-1 last week to maintain its hold on first place in the League standings. The center fielder went 1-for-2 with a pair of RBI in a 3-0 victory over Butler in game of the weekend series on Saturday, then went 2-for-2 with a triple and a stolen base in a 3-1 victory on Sunday. Schober has hit safely in five of the last six games.

Mollie Kaebisch, UW-Green Bay
Sophomore * INF * Colgate, Wis.
Kaebisch led the Phoenix with a .400 batting average in its five games last week. She socked her first career home run against Wisconsin Tuesday and then ripped another one against Detroit Sunday that tied the game at the time. Her clutch double in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Titans in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader gave UW-Green Bay the lead on its way to a sweep.

Anna Bluemel, UW-Green Bay
Junior * RHP * Wind Lake, Wis.
Bluemel allowed just three earned runs over 21 innings of work (1.00 ERA) while tossing three complete games last week. After allowing just two runs in a close loss to Big Ten foe Wisconsin Tuesday, she hurled a two-hitter as the Phoenix defeated Detroit 4-1 Saturday afternoon, holding one of the Horizon League's top offensive teams in check. Then on Sunday against the Titans, Bluemel didn't allow an earned run while striking out a season-high 11.

Malerie Klingler, Wright State
Freshman * 2B * Oakwood, Ohio
Klingler singled in two runs in opener with Youngstown State and then went 2-for-2 with an RBI double in series finale with the Penguins.

Allison Cox, Wright State
Freshman * RHP * Chillicothe, Ohio
Cox allowed no runs in 2.1 innings of relief in series opener with Youngstown State. She picked up a win in relief in the second and final games of the series, pitching five innings.

McKenzie Bedra, Youngstown State
Junior * 3B * Bowling Green, Ohio
Bedra led the Penguins led the Penguins with a .500 batting average with a double, two home runs and four runs batted in against Wright State in a three-game series. Bedra's home runs - both two-run shots - were her seventh and eighth home runs of the season.

Horizon League News & Notes

Butler Bulldogs
- Junior Amy Hyerczyk boosted her season total for doubles to 14 with a two-bagger against Ball State and another in Butler's three-game series at Loyola.

- Freshman Bridget Paine had two of Butler's three RBIs last week, boosting her season total to 23 RBIs. She's tied with Amy Hyerczyk for second on the team, three behind leader Jenny Jacobs.

- Junior righthander Nikki Naffziger had 12 strikeouts in three 9.2 innings of work last week. She leads the Bulldogs on the season with 67 strikeouts in 73.1 innings.

Cleveland State Vikings
- Cleveland State snapped its six-game losing streak in emphatic fashion, sweeping UIC for the first time ever. The Vikings won all three games by one-run margins, including a wild 10-9 victory in the opener.

- While the Vikings head into the last week of the regular season in seventh place, they are just a game-and-a-half out of second in what has turned into a wild scramble in the middle of the standings.

- Forced to cancel four more games last week, CSU has now lost 13 games in April due to weather. Assuming the Vikings get in all seven games this week, they will still have missed more than a quarter of their schedule (15 of 56 contests) due to Mother Nature.

Detroit Titans
- After taking most of last week off for finals, the Titans swing back into action in a big way this week starting in the program's TV debut at Wayne State on Tuesday. After making the short trip to the Southwest side, Detroit hosts Wright State in a twinbill on Thursday and then plays host to Cleveland State in a weekend set to close out the regular season.

- Junior Kaleigh Rafter is getting used to receiving free passes. Rafter, the league leader in home runs this season and last -- when she was named the League's Player of the Year -- was issued four intentional walks in the Titans' three game series at UW-Green Bay. She now has nine intentional free passes this season with five of those coming in loop games.

- Saturday the Titan Athletic Department will pause to honor the program's four seniors. Michelle Baggio, Adrienne Baran, Sarah Dickey and Krista Switzer will all be honored in a pre-game ceremony at Buysse Ballpark prior to the Titans' 1:00pm game against Cleveland State.

UIC Flames
- Despite falling in a three-game series versus Cleveland State at home last weekend, the Flames posted a .318 batting average with 13 runs scored, six doubles and 12 RBI.

- Freshman Brooke Frydendall was 5-for-10 (.500) with two runs and one RBI. Junior Nikki Rogers owned a .429 batting average (3-for-7) with three runs and three RBI.

- The Flames step out of League play next week to face nationally-ranked DePaul on Tuesday, May 1 at Cacciatore Stadium, followed by a doubleheader at Flames Field against Western Illinois on Thursday, May 3. UIC softball will honor senior Liz Jacoby and Becky Moran prior to game one between the Westerwinds and Flames.

Loyola Ramblers
- Since opening the year at 4-12, Loyola has gone 14-4, with 13 of those wins coming in Horizon League play. By taking two of three games from Butler over the weekend, Loyola improved to 7-2 at home this season.

- Sophomore Krista Crosson has won six of her last seven decisions to improve to 7-4 this season. She has not allowed a base on balls in her last four appearances, covering 22 innings.

- In its 18 wins this year, Loyola is batting .296, compared to only .204 in its losses.

- Loyola plays its final home games of the season this week with single contests versus BIG EAST Conference foes Notre Dame (May 1) and DePaul (May 2).

UW-Green Bay Phoenix
- Sophomore third baseman Mollie Kaebisch has hit safely in 14 of the last 16 games and is hitting .367 over the span, raising her season average 59 points to .309 in the process.

- After posting a team batting average of just .227 through its first 23 games, UW-Green Bay has finally gotten its offense going and is batting .289 over its last 10 contests.

- Junior pitcher Anna Bluemel has been very impressive over her last eight appearances, tossing seven complete games in as many starts while posting a 1.55 ERA and a .206 opposing batting average. However, a lack of offensive support has left Bluemel with just a 2-6 record in those eight contests.

Wright State Raiders
- After being shutout in both games at Ohio on Wednesday, the Wright State offense came alive in the weekend series with Youngstown State as the Raiders scored 18 runs and banged out 32 hits. All but one WSU player that had an at-bat in the series had two or more hits, with Michelle Logan leading the way with five and Jamie Perkins four.

- Freshman Allison Cox made the most of her week as despite making four relief appearances with no starts, she picked up two wins with a 0.95 ERA in 7.1 innings of work.

- The Raiders close out the regular season this week with a busy slate, starting on Tuesday with a makeup doubleheader against the Big Ten leading Ohio State Buckeyes. WSU then heads to Detroit on Thursday for a twinbill before hosting UIC in a weekend series. Wright State will recognize its three seniors--Dana Boehmer, Kristen Farley and Patti Scherer--during the doubleheader on Saturday.

Youngstown State Penguins
- Senior Karlie Burnell picked up her 10th victory of the season against Wright State on Saturday. Burnell became just the third pitcher in school history to post multiple 10-win seasons. The win also marked her 38th career victory, the third-most in Penguin history.

- Junior McKenzie Bedra extended her career home run record to 22. She also ranks tied for second on the single-season home run list with eight.

- The Penguins hit the road for a pair of non-conference doubleheaders this week before returning home to McCune Park to take on first-place Loyola for a three-game set this weekend.

Valparaiso Crusaders (join HL July 1, 2007)
- Senior Taylor Callahan's 14th double of the season set a school record and led off a four-run eighth inning in the series finale against Centenary on Saturday.

- Seven of Valpo's 16 hits on Saturday were doubles, breaking the team single-season record for two-base hits. The Crusaders now have 57 doubles on the season.

- Valpo travels to Michigan State on Thursday for a twinbill, then hosts Western Illinois for a three-game series on Friday and Saturday. The Crusaders wrap up their conference slate with a three-game series at Oakland that begins on Sunday.