Softball Weekly Release #5

March 14, 2006

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Player of the Week

Joyce Cathey, UIC
Senior * SS * Reno, Nev.
Cathey batted .412 (7-for-17) with two home runs in six games last week. The shortstop posted a .920 fielding percentage and stole one base. Cathey racked up one double, three runs and six RBI in the six games. The senior hit homers versus Temple and Buffalo both coming in the fifth inning.

Pitcher of the Week

Kortney Spidell, Cleveland State
Senior * RHP * Strasburg, Ohio
Spidell tossed a four-hit shutout on Sunday against Fairfield in the Rebel Spring Games. She fanned just one, walked none and allowed just one runner to reach second base. In hurling her second-straight shutout and earning her second-straight Pitcher of the Week honor, Spidell extended her scoreless innings streak to 15.1.

Other Top Performances for the Week of March 12

Kaleigh Rafter, Detroit
Sophomore * IF/C * Guelph, Ontario
Rafter hit .333 (5-for-15) for the week for the Titans in their season opening swing to Hawaii. She also recorded nine put outs and nine assists for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

Tara Miller, Loyola
Junior * OF * Mokena, Ill.
Miller swiped six bases and scored four runs out of the lead-off spot in the batting order in eight games last week. She had a stolen base, a pair of RBI and a run scored in a 7-2 victory at Loyola Marymount on March 10 and added two runs in a 5-1 decision over LMU on March 11.

Laura DeLeon, Loyola
Freshman * RHP * Chesterton, Ind.
DeLeon posted a 2-1 record last week in five appearances for Loyola in California. The freshman right-hander picked up her first win as a starter, scattering four hits and allowing only one earned run in a complete game, 7-2 victory at Loyola Marymount on March 10. She then earned another victory over LMU the next day, yielding only three hits and no runs in 3.2 innings of relief.

Alex Boros, Butler
Freshman * SS/3B * Elyria, Ohio
Boros plated the game-winner in the Bulldogs' thrilling 5-3, extra-inning win over Yale Sunday at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla. Boros scored two runs against Yale. The newcomer also went 2-for-3 with a run against Lehigh Saturday.

Adrienne Baran, Detroit
Junior * RHP * Richmond, Mich.
Baran went 1-2 over the week, picking up the win over UC Santa Barbara, a team that came into the game having played 16 games to the Titans' two. She struck out five in 16.2 innings of work, while posting a 4.86 ERA.

Sarah Clynes, UIC
Freshman * RHP * Florissant, Mo.
Clynes had four appearances in six games, starting and picking up the win versus NC State. It was the freshman's second win of the season as Clynes pitched 6.2 innings, allowing three hits, two runs and striking out five batters.

Amanda Cody, Wright State
Junior * DP * Tampa, Fla.
Cody hit .538 (7-for-13), while hitting safely in five of six games at the USF adidas Tournament. She blasted a solo home run against South Florida and had two doubles on the week.

Horizon League News & Notes

LAST WEEK: Six of the eight Horizon League softball teams saw action last week, combining for a 10-22 overall standard. Three teams are participating in the Rebel Spring Games with Cleveland State continuing its hot start with two victories on Sunday. Butler went 1-3 in its four games on Saturday and Sunday in Orlando, while UW-Green Bay is slated to start its '06 schedule on Mar. 19.

Detroit made the journey to Hawai'i where it took part in the Hawai'i Spring Fling, finishing with a 1-5 record with the long victory coming against UC-Santa Barbara on Wednesday. After Loyola dropped four-straight games on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Ramblers battled back to take three of their last four in California. UIC went to Florida to play in the USF - Adidas Spring Break Invitational and left with a 3-3 mark. In the same tournament, Wright State dropped all five of its games and is still looking for the first victory of the season.

THIS WEEK: The Horizon League softball schedule continues with 33 games. Butler and Cleveland State resume in Orlando, Fla. at the Rebel Spring Games and will be joined by UW-Green Bay on Mar. 19. Youngstown State picks back up in Columbus, Ohio at the Buckeye Invitational. UIC stays in Florida for another USF tournament (USF Speedline Invitational). Wright State will welcome Bethel to Dayton, Ohio for a doubleheader, hoping that the friendly confines will help them pick up the first 'W' of the campaign.

Butler Bulldogs

- The back-to-back shutouts posted by the Bulldogs over the University of Indianapolis on Friday (Feb. 24) were the first back-to-back shutouts in more than four seasons. Butler allowed the Greyhounds just five hits in the 14 innings.

- Butler will return from the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla. after 12 contests and the Bulldogs will open the home portion of their schedule Tuesday, Mar. 21, hosting Ball State in a doubleheader.

Cleveland State

- At 5-1, the Vikings are tied with the 1982 and 1997 squads for the best six-game start in school history. CSU is currently in the midst of a modest three-game winning streak.

- Cleveland State will head into play this week not having made an error in 31.1 innings. The Vikings' last miscue came in the third inning against IUPUI on March 4. CSU also enters the week having gone 23.1 innings without allowing a run of any sort to cross the plate. Eastern Kentucky was the last team to put a crooked number on the scoreboard, plating two runs in the fourth inning of their first meeting with the Vikings on March 5.

Detroit Titans

- Senior Kristin Martin has started every game of her career, a streak that is now at 143 games and counting.

- The Titans welcome five newcomers to the squad, led by the first Titan to come from the Lone Star State, freshman utility player Jacqueline Nortman (Groves, Tex.). She is joined by Lisa Harper (Rochester, Mich.), Brittany Hire (Elkhart, Ind.), Laura Hoste (Sterling Heights, Mich.) and Morgan Papke (Franklin, Mich.).

UIC Flames

- The Flames went 3-3 last weekend at the USF adidas Invitational in Clearwater, Fla. Senior Michelle Miller was 4-for-8 in three games with an RBI triple against Iowa. Sophomore Nikki Rogers posted a .455 batting average, going 5-for-11 in the two-day event.

- UIC returns seven starters this season, bringing back a majority of the returning firepower and introducing three stellar freshmen to the 2006 squad.

Loyola Ramblers

- Sophomore Kat Krause has 10 hits this season with four clearing the outfield fence. With eight career roundtrippers barely into her second season, Krause should challenge the Loyola career record of 14 home runs set by both Stephanie Trenerry (1992-95) and Becky Marx (2003-04).

- Junior Tara Miller has stolen 12 bases already this year, just six shy of her career high of 18 set last season. If she keeps her current pace, she will shatter the Loyola single-season mark of 31 thefts set by Ellen Antonacci in 1997 and become only the second Rambler to swipe more than 20 bases.

UW-Green Bay Phoenix

- UW-Green Bay will be the last Horizon League team to take the field for the 2006 season when opens its season at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla., March 19. By comparison, UIC will have already played over 20 games by the time the Phoenix plays its first game.

Wright State Raiders

- Junior Amanda Cody has led Wright State's offensive attack this season. The junior is hitting .405 with three home runs, four doubles and seven RBI, while slugging at a .757 clip.

- The Raiders are still looking as they dropped all six games at the USF adidas Tournament by a combined score of 53-12. Cody and junior Mary Jane D'Arcy paced the Raider offense with seven hits each for the tournament.

Youngstown State

- With her double two weeks ago, senior Tiffany Patteson now owns sole possession of second place on the YSU all-time doubles chart and needs five more to become YSU's all-time doubles leader. Patteson also moved into second place on YSU's all-time hits chart with 178 and needs 31 more to become YSU's all-time hits leader.

- Sophomore Becky Hibner batted .455 in YSU's first four games, going 5-for-11 with a double.