Valpo's Duncan, Weissenhofer Sweep Horizon League Softball Weekly Awards

INDIANAPOLIS -- Valparaiso sophomore infielder Brittany Duncan (Fairborn, Ohio/Fairborn) has been named Horizon League Softball Player of the Week, while Crusaders freshman Taylor Weissenhofer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) has earned Horizon League Softball Pitcher of the Week honors, for the week of Feb. 25-March 3.

Playing four games at the Buccaneer Invitational over the weekend, Valparaiso (6-6) went 3-1, knocking off UNC Wilmington, 16-1, and sweeping Charleston Southern, 9-1, and 6-5. The Crusaders’ lone loss came in a competitive 5-0 setback to No. 7 Tennessee.

Duncan, the 2012 Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, was a force at the plate, going 6-for-11 with two home runs and five RBI in the four games. The lefty slugger started the weekend by going 3-for-4 against UNC Wilmington, slugging both of her homers and driving in five. Against Tennessee, Duncan was 2-for-3. The sophomore finished her week with a 1.734 OPS and three runs scored.

Weissenhofer became the second Valparaiso freshman pitcher to earn Pitcher of the Week honors, joining teammate Sierra Pico. Appearing in three games, the left-hander tossed 16.0 innings, holding opponents to a .120 batting average and notching three wins.

The freshman allowed just two hits in five innings of Valpo’s tournament-opening win against UNC Wilmington. After collecting her second win of the week against Charleston Southern in which she struck out eight in five innings, Weissenhofer returned in the tournament finale with the Crusaders trailing 4-1 in the second inning. Weissenhofer tossed six innings, holding Charleston Southern to run unearned run as Valpo came back to win.

Valparaiso will compete at the Stetson Classic starting on Friday, March 8. Across the three-day tournament, the Crusaders will take on Fairleigh Dickinson, Colgate and the host Hatters.

Softball Player of the Week:
Feb. 12:    Joylyn Ichiyama, Valparaiso
Feb. 19:    Dara Toman, Cleveland State
Feb. 26:    Lauren Moore, Loyola
March 5:   Brittany Duncan, Valparaiso

Softball Pitcher of the Week:
Feb. 12:    Sierra Pico, Valparaiso
Feb. 19:    Susan Knight, Cleveland State
Feb. 26:    Brittany Gardner, Loyola
March 5:   Taylor Weissenhofer, Valparaiso