UIC's Polites and Boyle Collects Weekly Honors

INDIANAPOLIS –UIC senior Eleni Polites (Cary, Ill.) is the Horizon League softball Player of the Week while junior Bridget Boyle (St. John, Ind.) is the Horizon League softball Pitcher of the Week for the week of March 9-15.

The UIC Flames softball team competed in five games this past weekend at the UCF Knights Spring Fling Tournament in Orlando, Fla. UIC began the week falling to Butler 5-0 and James Madison 6-1 on Friday. The squad bounced back with a 9-0 win over Fairfield on Saturday and lost in a close battle to No. 20 UCF 2-1. The Flames ended the tournament with a 4-3 victory against Monmouth to end the tournament with a 2-3 record.

Polites led UIC at the plate with a .538 batting average, .769 slugging percentage and .538 on-base percentage. The senior posted two three-hit outings against Fairfield and Monmouth for the first time in her career. Polites notched seven hits over the five games with two runs and her first-career double and triple for the Flames. She totaled 10 bases while slapping from the left side and stole one base over the weekend. Polites was also named to the All-Tournament Team after her performances during the five games.

Boyle took the circle for UIC for three starts while collecting a 1-1 record through the weekend. The junior compiled an earned-run average of 2.33 over her 15.0 innings pitched, including two complete games versus Butler and Fairfield. She picked up her third win of the season against Fairfield where she pitched a shutout allowing just one hit in five innings. During her time on the pitching rubber, she held batters to a .203 batting-against average and struckout six batters.

The Flames begin conference play on Friday, March 20 when the team faces Oakland in the first of a three-game series with the Golden Grizzlies.

Top Players of the Week:
Sarah Hartley, Oakland (Jr.): Posted a .429 batting average for Oakland while tallying six hits, two runs, a double and two home runs over five games.
Libby Pfeffer, Wright State (So.); Went 3-for-4 with a triple, home run and three RBI against IPFW and 3-for-4 with a double and run scored versus Bowling Green.
Kaitlyn Ranieri, Valparaiso (Jr.): Went 8-for-21 with six runs, four RBI, three doubles, one triple and one home run for the Crusaders. Posted a .381 batting average, .519 on-base percentage and .762 slugging percentage over the week.
Stevie Taylor, Youngstown State (Fr.): Went 10-for-25 at the plate for the Penguins to tab a .400 batting average with four runs, three doubles, seven RBI and two home runs. Had three multi-hit games including a 3-for-4 performance against South Carolina State.
Cynthia Woodard, Cleveland State (Sr.): Hit .417 with four runs, three homers and seven RBI over four games last week for the Vikings. Posted a 1.167 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage while notching a hit in all four games for Cleveland State.

Top Pitchers of the Week:
Susan Knight, Cleveland State (Jr.): Earned a win in her only appearance last week to tab a 2.80 earned run average in five innings allowing just two runs and fanning two batters.
Erin Kownacki, Oakland (Jr.): Picked up Oakland’s sole win over the week in relief against Dayton in the top of the seventh inning. Compiled a 3.50 earned-run average in 14.0 innings pitched.

Players of the Week
Feb. 2: Nena Doran, Cleveland State
Feb. 9: Nena Doran, Cleveland State
Feb. 16: Jorgi Calombaris, Valparaiso
Feb. 23: Sarah Hartley, Oakland
March 1: Nena Doran, Cleveland State
March 9: Eleni Polites, UIC

Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 2: Karissa Frazier, UIC
Feb. 9: Alex Radjen, Cleveland State
Feb. 16: Karissa Frazier, UIC
Feb. 23: Susan Knight, Cleveland State
March 9: Bridget Boyle, UIC