Softball Weekly Release #6

March 21, 2006

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Player of the Week

Kristen McDonnell, Youngstown State - C/INF
Freshman * Keizer, Ore.
McDonnell helped the Penguins to a 1-2 record last week while batting .571 (4-for-7) with a double, home run, four RBI and three runs scored. She also finished with a 1.143 slugging percentage and a .571 on-base percentage. Against Kent State, McDonnell belted her first career home run with two runs batted in. In the 11-1 win over Robert Morris, McDonnell was 3-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored.

Pitcher of the Week

Grace Luginbuhl, Cleveland State - RHP
Senior * Lima, Ohio
Luginbuhl was dominating in the circle last week, posting a 4-1 record with a save as the Vikings closed out their five-day stint at the Rebel Games. She put together a 1.19 ERA while fanning 48 in 35.1 innings as she held opposing hitters to a .153 average. Luginbuhl did not allow more than four hits in any of her five complete game performances, striking out 10 or more on three occasions.

Other Top Performances from the Week of March 19

Sarah Clynes, UIC - RHP
Freshman * Florissant, Mo.
Clynes went 8-for-20 (.400) with two runs, six RBI and two home runs at the USF Speedline Invitational. She helped the Flames to a 4-2 record and the consolation championship at the three-day tournament. The freshman belted a two-run homer in UIC's 4-0 win over Dartmouth and went 3-for-4 in an 8-2 victory against Canisius with another home run and four RBI.

Alex Boros, Butler - SS / 3B
Freshman * Elyria, Ohio
Boros led the Bulldogs to a 4-2 record over the last three days of the Rebel Spring Games with a .421 batting average over the final six games of the spring get-together. The freshman had eight hits, including a double, while scoring three runs and driving in two more. Boros' week was highlighted by a 4-for-4 performance with two runs scored in the team's win over Bucknell.

Lisa Meissner, UW-Green Bay - RHP
Senior * Two Rivers, Wis.
Meissner allowed just one hit while striking out 12 batters in a six-inning complete-game 2-0 loss to the Rattlers Sunday in UW-Green Bay's season opener. After allowing a pair of unearned runs in the first inning, she allowed just one Florida A&M batter to reach base over the final five innings. She entered in relief in the second game and allowed three hits in 2.2 innings while striking out six.

Christa Coppus, Cleveland State - SS
Freshman * Tiffin, Ohio
Despite a .238 batting average last week (5-for-21), Coppus was a powerful offensive force for the Vikings, driving in a team-high eight runs with four runs scored and four sacrifices. She tallied her first career home run against Colgate, a first-inning solo shot.

Jacqueline Nortman, Detroit - OF
Freshman * Groves, Texas
Nortman returned to the line up this week and was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Best Western Catamount Classic. The 5-foot-1 slugger hit .444 for Detroit with a double and her first career home run. Nortman drove in three runs while slugging at a 1.000 clip and posting a .444 on-base percentage.

Kelly Cross, UIC - RHP
Freshman * Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Cross posted a 0.74 ERA at the USF Speedline Invite with a 2-1 record on the weekend. Cross pitched 19 innings, allowing only ten hits and two runs while racking up 29 strikeouts. In UIC's 4-0 victory over Dartmouth on March 17th, Cross pitched seven innings, allowing one hit and notching 14 strikeouts.

Jamie Wonderly, Butler - RHP
Junior * Helena, Ohio
Wonderly posted a 2-1 record and a 2.58 ERA at the Rebel Spring Games. She started three games in her four appearances, completing one contest. The complete game was a 3-2, nine-inning victory over Tennessee-Martin.

Horizon League News and Notes

LAST WEEK: Six of the eight Horizon League softball teams saw action last week, combining for a 17-14 overall record. Three teams participated in the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla. Butler went 6-6, while Cleveland State notched an impressive 8-2 mark in the Sunshine State. UW-Green Bay just got underway, dropping its first two games of the spring trip.

In the week's other action, UIC won the consolation bracket of the USF Speedline Invitational with wins over Canisius and Troy on Sunday; Youngstown State went 1-2 at the Buckeye Classic with an 11-1 victory over Robert Morris as the Penguins' first win of the season; and Detroit went 1-3 at the Best Western Catamount Classic. Wright State had its doubleheader with Bethel College cancelled in the only games not played as scheduled last week.

THIS WEEK: The Horizon League softball teams continue play with 38 games this week, including 11 doubleheaders. UW-Green Bay continues at the Rebel Spring Games until Friday. The final two pre-League schedule tournaments will take place this week as Loyola heads to Iowa City, Iowa to play in the Hawkeye Classic and Wright State goes to Bloomington, Ind. to play in the IU Classic.

The rest of the schedule will take place at campus sites as the teams are in the final week before conference play is slated to begin.

Butler Bulldogs
- Four of Butler's top five batters so far this season are freshmen, led by infielder Alex Boros' .311 average. In addition to her hitting, Boros leads the Butler pitching staff with a 1.24 ERA in two appearances.

- Butler's 8-6 record includes a five-game winning streak during the middle of the Rebel Spring Games.

- Sophomore first baseman Amy Hyerczyk leads the team with two home runs and nine RBIs so far this season.

Cleveland State
- At 11-3, the Vikings are tied with the 1995 and 1997 squads for the best 14-game start in school history. CSU is currently in the midst of a modest three-game winning streak.

- Cleveland State's been quick out of the blocks offensively this season. The Vikings have scored first in 13 of 14 games, including nine times in their first at-bat. This has led to CSU coming to bat while trailing just 10 times in 93 innings.

Detroit Titans
- Senior shortstop Kristin Martin has started every game of her career, a streak that is now at 147 games and counting.

- The Titans' offense has struggled early in the 2006 campaign, scoring only 10 runs in the first 10 games. The team is averaging four hits per game and is hitting .183 on the year.

UIC Flames
- UIC posted a 4-2 record at the USF Speedline Invitational over the weekend, capturing the consolation bracket championship after going 2-1 in the elimination rounds.

- The Flames have been led by the bat of senior Joyce Cathey in 2006. The shortstop leads the team in batting average (.347), slugging percentage (.520), hits (26), home runs (4), total bases (39) and stolen bases (4).

- Freshman Kelly Cross is in the midst of a solid rookie campaign. The right-hander has registered a team-best marks in ERA (3.14), opponents batting average (.228), appearances (17), strikeouts (67) and innings pitched (63.0).

Loyola Ramblers
- Sophomore utility 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 outfielder 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
- Senior Lisa Meissner's 12-strikeout game against Florida A&M marked the sixth double-digit strikeout game of her career and her first of 2006. The total was her second-most for a seven-inning game, trailing only a 13-strikeout performance against Cleveland State in the Horizon League tournament a year ago.

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

- The Raiders are still looking for their first win as they had a doubleheader against Bethel College cancelled last week. Cody and junior Mary Jane D'Arcy paced the Raider offense with seven hits each for the tournament.

Youngstown State
- Senior shortstop Tiffany Patteson tied her own school record with three doubles in a game when she went 3-for-3 against Robert Morris on Sunday. Patteson has moved into second place on the YSU all-time hits chart with 183 and needs just 26 more to become the school's career hits leader. Patteson also needs two more doubles to top the all-time doubles chart. She currently has 46 career doubles, one behind Amanda Berry (2001-04).

- Sophomore first baseman Becky Hibner and Patteson have each collected a hit in all seven games this season and have pushed their hitting streaks to 13 straight games, dating back to last season.