Softball:  Players-of-the-Week

April 27

Hitter: Mount Union junior short stop Meghan Simons (Minerva) led the Purple Raiders to a 3-1 record last week and a OAC Tournament appearance, batting .545 (6-of-11) with three runs, two doubles, six runs batted-in and two homeruns. 

Other Nominees: Mary Margaret Boda (MUSK)…Jamie Smrdel (JCU)…Felicia Vermaaten (OTT)…Mandi Fought (ONU)

Pitcher: Ohio Northern junior Cortney Cash (Crown Point, Ind./Marian Catholic) won all four starts, including a two-hit shutout against Wilmington last week. Cash completed 26 innings with a 1.08 ERA, allowing only five runs and striking out 25.  

Other Nominees: Bre Willis (MTU)…Brittany Donilov (JCU)…CortneyCash (ONU)

April 20

Hitter: Ohio Northern junior short stop Liz Decima (Freedom, Pa./Ambridge) lead the Polar Bears to a 8-0 record, batting .615 (16-of-26) with five doubles, seven runs batted-in and one homerun.  Decima also carried a .923 slugging percent and a .667 on-base percent last week.

 Other Nominees: Anna Horning (MTU)…Jessica Bosway (MUSK)…Julie Marlowe (JCU)

Pitcher: Ohio Northern junior Cortney Cash (Crown Point, Ind./Marian Catholic) was 6-0, including a one-hit shutout over Kenyon last week. Cash completed 34 innings of work with a 1.44 ERA, 31 strikeouts and seven walks. She held her opponent to a 1.67 batting average.

Other Nominees: Brittany Danilov (JCU)…Bre Willis (MTU)…Amy Mattin (MUSK)

April 13

Hitter: Otterbein senior catcher Lauren Tibjash (Lyndhurst/Brush) helped to lead the Cardinals to a 2-2 record last week, batting .445 (five –of-11) with two doubles, two homeruns and nine runs batted-in.

 Other Nominees: Tina Mangola (ONU)…Emily McComb (MAR)…Mary Margaret Boda (MUSK)…Angela Vistocco (JCU)…Meghan Simons (MTU)…Christa Alvich (CAP)

Pitcher: Capital senior Brittany Stefano (Uniontown/Uniontown Lake) was 4-0 on the week with three complete games. Stefano completed 27 innings of work with a .770 ERA, 25 strikeouts and two walks to help lead the Crusaders to a 4-0 record.

Other Nominees: Sarah Baker (B-W)…Maggie Molnar (ONU)…Kristina Hayes (OTT)…Amy Mattin (MUSK)…Gia Mauer (MTU)

April 6

Hitter: Baldwin-Wallace senior first baseman Caitlin Myor (Sheffiedl Lake/Elyria) hit .579 (11-of-19) with three homeruns, one double and six runs batted-in during a 6-0 week for the Yellow Jackets.

Other Nominees: Emily McComb (MAR)…Alex Lucak (MTU)…Andrea Gerdeman (HEID)…Katie Cretin (ONU)…Mallory Hay (MUSK)…Jamie Smrdel (JCU)

Pitcher: Baldwin-Wallace sophomore Mackenzie Rohrbacher (Sandusky) posted a 3-0 record and a .410 ERA in a 6-0 week for the Yellow Jackets. Rohrbacher struck out 16 batters in 17 innings of work.

Other Nominees: Dana Thomas (HEID)…Courtney Cash (ONU)…Amy Mattin (MUSK)…Brittany Danilov (JCU)

March 30

Hitter: Mount Union sophomore second baseman Alex Lucak (Maple Hts./Trinity) helped the Purple Raiders to a 4-2 record last week. Lucak batted .444 (eight-of-18) with six runs, seven RBI, two doubles, one triple and two home runs.

Other Nominees: Brittany Stefano (CAP)…Felicia Vermaaten (OTT)…Erin Riccardi (JCU)…Katie Cretin (ONU)…Ally Mazzei (MUSK)

Pitcher: Marietta sophomore Amanda Strong (Mineral Wells, W.Va/Parkersburg South) helped to lead the Pioneers to 6-0 record last week. In 19 innings of work, Strong gave up only one earned run, walked three and struck out seven. Strong threw a one-hit shutout against Bethany and an eight-hit shutout against Kenyon.

Other Nominees: Brittany Stefano (CAP)..Nadine Bower (OTT)…Kellie Schmucker (MTU)…Courtney Cash (ONU)

March 23

Hitter: Otterbein third baseman Felicia Vermaaten (Newark) hit the game-winning RBI double in a 2-1 win over North Central to help lead the Cardinals to a 3-3 record last week. On the week, Vermaaten batted .500 (nine-of-18) with four runs, three doubles and two RBI.

Other Nominees: Tanya Davis (B-W)…Katie Cretin (ONU)…Mary Margaret Boda (MUSK)

Pitcher: Baldwin-Wallace freshman Sarah Baker (Mentor/Lake Catholic) tossed two complete-game shutouts at the Maryville College Classic (Tenn.) to help lead the Yellow Jackets to a 3-1 record last week. In 14 innings of work, Baker gave up only four hits, no earned runs, struck out five and walked six.

Other Nominees: Kristina Hayes (OTT)…Courtney Cash (ONU)…Amy Mattin (MUSK)…Kellie Schmucker (MTU)…Brittany Stefano (CAP)

March 16

Hitter: Baldwin-Wallace first baseman Caitlin Myor (Sheffield Lake/Elyria) helped the Yellow Jackets to a 7-3 record at the Tucson Invitational (AZ). Myor batted .472 (17-of-36) with eight runs scored, one double, one triple, five homeruns and 24 RBI.

Other Nominees: Ashley Henriques (MTU)…Jamie Smrdel (JCU)…Chloe Moloney (MUSK)…Liz Decima (ONU)

Pitcher: Wilmington freshman Chloe Hedges (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) has gone 4-0 with three shutouts to help lead the Quakers to a 5-3 record. On the week Hedges finished with a .70 ERA, giving up two earned runs, walking three  and striking out 27 in 25.2inning of work.  

Other Nominees: Kristina Hayes (OTT)…Devon Butler (MTU)…Brittany Danilov (JCU)…Courtney Cash (ONU)…Briana Hinz (HEID)

March 17

Hitter: Baldwin-Wallace catcher Tanya Davis (Hinckley/Medina Highland) helped the Yellow Jackets open the season with a 5-5 overall record at the Rebel Spring Games last week.  She led the team in hitting with a .500 batting average (19-of-38) with 12 runs scored and had three doubles, one homerun and 11 runs batted-in. She also had a .658 slugging average, .525 on-base average and a .968 fielding average

Other Nominees: Liz Decima (ONU)…Heather Fields (MUSK)…Coree Price (HEID)

Pitcher: Muskingum junior pitcher Amy Mattin (Delta) went 3-2 on the week to help lead the Muskies to a 6-4 record.

She earned her first career no-hitter in the Muskies’ 3-0 win over RIT. On the week Mattin finished with a 1.52 ERA, striking out 28 in 32 inning and giving up only nine walks.

Other Nominees: Katie Allenspach (HEID)

March 24

Hitter: Baldwin-Wallace first baseman Caitlin Myor (Sheffield Lake/Elyria Senior) led the Yellow Jackets last week. She batted .600 with one run scored, two doubles, five runs batted-in and one homerun. Myor had 1.600 slugging-percentage and a .714 on-base average.

Other Nominees: Janelle Jones (OTT)…Emily McComb (MAR) 

Pitcher: Otterbein sophomore pitcher Brooke Stull (New Philadelphia) went 1-0 on last week. On the week Stull finished with a 0.90 ERA, striking out eight and giving up only five walks in ten innings.

Other Nominees: Samantha Swineford (B-W)

March 31

Hitter: Marietta junior pitcher/designated hitter Erin Faulkner (Wheelersburg) hit three home runs in a doubleheader sweep of Wooster. In game one, she hit a two-run home run in a 5-1 win. Then in the second game, she hit a pair of home runs and had 5 RBI in a 9-1 victory.  On the week she batted .400 with four hits, three runs, seven RBI and two home runs.

Other Nominees: Jerrica Sweetnich (HEID)…Liz Decima (ONU)…Beth Bachman (JCU)…Felicia Vermaaten (OTT)…Lindsay Shepherd (CAP)…Tanya Davis (B-W)…Mary Margaret Boda (MUSK)

Pitcher: Muskingum junior pitcher Amy Mattin (Delta) went 3-1 last week to help lead the Muskies to a 5-1 record and a 2-0 start in the OAC. Mattin fired 24.1 innings of work with a 0.37 ERA and 24 strikeouts. She gave up only nine hits.

Other Nominees: Brittany Stefano (CAP)…Katey Munshower (B-W)…Morgan Braun (OTT)

April 7

Hitter: Ohio Northern sophomore outfielder Mandi Fought (Toledo/Whitmer) batted .667 (eight-of-12) with one triple, two home runs, 10 RBI and five stolen bases to the lead the Polar Bears past Heidelberg and Marietta. She also tallied a 1.333 slugging percent and a .778 one-base percent. Fought broke ONU’s single-season stolen base record on Saturday. 

Other Nominees: Jerrica Sweetnich (HEID)…Janelle Jones (OTT)…Kari Hoying (MUSK)

Pitcher: Muskingum junior pitcher Amy Mattin (Delta) went 5-0 last week to help lead the Muskies to a 6-0 record last week. Mattin fired 32.1 innings of work with a 1.52 ERA and 21 strikeouts.

April 14

Hitter: Mount Union senior first baseman Katie Oliver (Niles/Mineral Ridge) batted .750 (six-of-eight) with  five runs, one double,  four home runs, 10 RBI  and a .868 on-base percent to the lead the Purple Raiders to a 4-0 record last week. Oliver reached base safely in all seven plate appearances in the doubleheader versus Malone College.  In the first game she went three-of-three with three homeruns, including a grand slam, and a team record of eight RBI.  She went one-of-one in the second game with a double and three walks.  She added her fourth homer of the week against Marietta. 

Ohio Northern sophomore right fielder Tina Mangola (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) batted .667 (14-of-21) with seven runs, three home runs, five doubles, one triple, 11 RBI and one stolen base to helped ONU to a 4-2 week with sweeps of Hiram and Otterbein. She completed the week with a 1.419 slugging percent and a .696 on-base percent.

Other Nominees: Mary Margaret Boda (MUSK)…Jamie Smrdel (JCU)…Katie Woolf (MAR)…Caitlin Myor (B-W)…Britany Byers (OTT)

Pitcher: Mount Union senior pitcher Lindsey Royer (Marlington) went 3-0 last week to help lead the Raiders to a 4-0 record. Royer fired 15 innings of work with a 1.40 ERA, 21 strikeouts and only walking one.

Other Nominees: Heather Martin (MUSK)…Morgan Braun (OTT)

April 21

Hitter: Baldwin-Wallace freshman designated hitter Tanya Davis (Hinckley/Medina Highland) batted .500 (nine-of-18) with nine runs, three doubles, three home runs and six RBI last week. Davis also ended the week with a 1.167 slugging percent, a .609 on-base percent and went three-of-three in stolen bases. Davis helped to lead the Yellow Jackets to split in a OAC doubleheader with 20th-ranked Muskingum.

Other Nominees: Lauren Tibjash, OTT…Cory Sheets, WILM…Mary Margaret Boda, MUSK…Erin Faulkner, MAR….Kelly D’Amato, JCU…Danielle Goubeaux, ONU

Pitcher: Marietta junior pitcher Erin Faulkner (Wheelersburg/Wheelersburg) went 2-1 last week to help lead the Pioneers to a 3-1 record. Faulkner pitched 15 innings with a 0.93 ERA, giving up only 11 hits, four runs, two earned runs, three walks and struck out 17. She had a no-hitter against Heidelberg on Saturday, where she retired 21-of-23 batters she faced.

Other Nominees: Katie Keslar, ONU…Morgan Braun, OTT…Amy Mattin, MUSK…Erin Willeke, CAP

Hitter: Muskingum Jamie Echelberger (Ashland/Hillside) helped to lead the Muskies to 5-1 record on the week and their 11th straight OAC Regular-Season title. Echelberger batted .588 (10-of-17) with six runs, two doubles, two homeruns and eight RBI.

Other Nominees: Crystal Killoran, HEID…Anna Horning, MTU…Kendy Beers, OTT…Danielle Goubeaux, ONU…Tanya Davis, B-W

Pitcher: Mount Union senior pitcher Lindsey Royer (Louisville/Marlington) went 5-0 last week to help lead the Raiders to a 6-0 record. Royer pitched 26.2 innings with a 1.69 ERA, giving up 21 hits, three runs, three earned runs, five walks and struck out 27. She earned her 23rd win, setting a new school record for wins in a season.

Other Nominees: Amy Mattin, MUSK…Stephanie Inkrott, ONU…Mackenzie Rohrbacher, B-W…Ashley Lippert, JCU

March 12

Hitter-Ohio Northern freshman outfielder Tina Mangola (Carnberry Twp./Seneca Valley) hit .576 with 17 RBI and five home runs as ONU went 7-3 during the Tucson Games (Arizona).  Mongola had an impressive 1.152 slugging percentage and a .641 on-base percentage and three stolen bases.

Pitcher-Mount Union junior pitcher Lindsey Royer (Louisville/Marlington) recorded seven to help lead the Raiders to a 9-3 record last week. In 55 innings, Royer allowed 48 hits, 22 earned runs and tallied 72 strikeouts.

March 19

Hitter- Ohio Northern sophomore first baseman Matti McFarlin (Cranberry/Ashland) batted .571 as she went 4-for-7 with a double, two triples, four RBI and two runs scored in a double header against Findlay last week.

Pitcher- Marietta senior pitcher Kristen Quintana (Denver, Co./Littleton) went 6-1 last week. In 42 innings, she allowed only five earned runs, and tallied 66 strikeouts. Quintana broke the school’s career win record (41) and now has collected 45 in her career. She also matched the school’s single-game strikeout record with 15 during Marietta’s win over Rhode Island last week.

March 26

Hitter-   Muskingum sophomore designated hitter Randi Dance (Olmsted Falls) led the Muskies to a 6-1record last week. She batted .526 (10-of-19) with one home run, five runs, three doubles and four RBI.

Pitcher- Marietta senior pitcher Kristen Quintana (Denver, Co./Littleton) appeared in four games, went 2-0 and did not allow a run in over 16 innings. She scattered 11 hits, struck out 25 and walked just one.

April 2

Hitter-Capital junior third baseman Lindsay Shepherd (Phillipsburg/Northmont) had a team-high 12 hits in 20 at-bats for a .600 batting average, scored 13 runs and stole 10 bases in six games last week leading the Crusaders to a 4-2 record.

Pitcher- Mount Union junior pitcher Lindsey Royer (Louisville/Marlington) pitch 30.1 innings with no runs, 18 hits, 32 strikeouts and five walks to go 6-0 on the week.

April 9

Hitter-John Carroll sophomore catcher/ designated hitter Jamie Smrdel (Kirtland/Beaumont) went 5-for-6 in a doubleheader sweep over Baldwin-Wallace. Smrdel batted .833 on the week with five hits, three runs, four RBI, one double and one home run.

Pitcher- Otterbein freshman pitcher Emily Kistler (Pittsburgh,PA/Penn-Trafford) pitched seven innings with no runs, two hits, four strikeouts and one walk to go to earn a save and help lead the Cardinals to a 2-0 record last week.

April 16

Hitter-Mount Union junior pitcher/utility Lindsey Royer (Lousiville/Marlington) went 13-for-20 (.650) with five runs, nine RBI, three doubles and two homeruns to lead the Raiders to a 6-0 record on the week.  

April 23

Hitter-Ohio Northern freshman Cortney Cash (Chicago Hts./Marian Catholic) batted .417 (10-of-24) with four runs, 12 RBI, three doubles and two homeruns to lead the Polar Bears’ to a 7-1 record on the week.

April 30

Hitter-Ohio Northern senior Melanie Ward (Plain City/Fairbanks) batted .500 (11-of-22) with six runs, nine RBI, one double, one triple and three homeruns to lead the Polar Bears’ to a 5-1 record on the week.