Only three ranked teams are left unbeaten after action at the Mary Nutter Classic. Washington moved to 18-0 on the year, while UCLA sports a 15-0 mark and Baylor is 9-0. Four teams – LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Cal – each ended their unbeaten starts to the season thanks to losses at the Mary Nutter in Cathedral City.
Now, for the headlines and highlights of the week…
NEWS
- Northwestern State head coach Donald Pickett became the Lady Demons’ program career wins leader with his 246th.
- Ole Miss senior outfielder Elantra Cox set the Rebels program’s all-time record for hits.
- Lipscomb head coach Kristin Ryman earned the 400th win of her career in a victory over Indiana on Saturday.
- Wisconsin senior star Kelsey Jenkins set the Badgers program career leader in runs scored.
- Southern Illinois head coach Kerri Blaylock earned the 634th win of her career with the Salukis and with it, set the program’s new all-time wins record.
- Utah State head coach Steve Johnson earned the 100th victory of his career in a win on Friday.
- McNeese State slugging star Erika Piancastelli set both her program’s and the Southland Conference’s career record for runs scored, with 178 in her career.
- Florida State senior Jessie Warren set the program’s career RBI record and the ACC’s all-time home run mark, with the 217th run batted in and home run #67 in her career.
- UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez earned the 500th victory of her career in a win over Missouri on Sunday.
- Alcorn State senior Taylor Hughes set the program’s career hits record on Saturday.
- UCF head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie earned her 850th career win in a victory over Penn State on Friday.
- Texas State’s Ariel Ortiz set the Bobcats program record for career RBIs.
- Stanford head coach Jessica Allister earned the 300th victory of her career in a win on Sunday.
- Manhattan head coach Tom Pardalis earned the 200th win of his career in a victory over Rhode Island on Saturday.
- Congratulations to the pitchers who recorded no-hitters and perfect games this weekend:
- Molly Smith, Memphis (vs. UMBC, 7.0 IP, 10 SO)
- Taylor Dockins, Cal State Fullerton (vs. San Diego, 5.0 IP, 2 SO)
- Summer Ellyson, Louisiana-Lafayette (vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 7.0 IP, 5 SO)
- Delaney Hull, Utah State (vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 5.0 IP, 5 SO)
- Kaylin VanDomelen, North Dakota (vs. Cleveland State, 7.0 IP, 7 SO)
- Stephanie Bryden, UNC-Greensboro (vs. Virginia, 5.0 IP, 5 SO)
- Devin Wallace, North Carolina State (vs. Wagner, 7.0 IP, 5 SO)
- Megan Landry, Nicholls State (vs. Albany, 7.0 IP, 3 SO)
- Kama Woodall/Brittany Nimmo, North Carolina State (vs. Wagner, 5.0 IP, 2 SO)
- Bryana Clark/Logan Black, Creighton (vs. Grambling, 5.0 IP, 11 SO)
- Meghan King/Cassidy Davis, Florida State (vs. Northern Iowa, 5.0 IP, 5 SO, PERFECT GAME)
- Megan Bilgri, Mercer (vs. Drexel, 5.0 IP, 2 SO, PERFECT GAME)
WORTH WATCHING – An incredible catch by Coastal Carolina’s Timi Tooley.
Timi Tooley makes an amazing catch in centerfield to take away a Home Run from St. Joes. #SCTop10 CC: @NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/mIK6E6FdTL
— Coastal Carolina SB (@CoastalSoftball) February 23, 2018
WHO’S HOT
Michigan – After a 2-2 showing in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the Wolverines finshed the Texas Invitational 3-2. Carol Hutchins’ team earned three shutout victories, but were shutout by Texas and in an extra-inning loss to Virginia Tech. Despite her team’s disappointing weekend, freshman pitcher Meghan Beaubien threw for nineteen innings and allowed just eight hits and one unearned run.
Nebraska – After a victory over previously-undefeated Texas A&M to kick off their stay at the Mary Nutter, the Huskers took a run-rule loss to Mississippi State and a shutout loss at the hands of UCLA in their next two games. The Huskers were held to just five hits between the two shutout losses before rebounding with a victory over St. John’s. A loss to Washington closed out the tournament for Rhonda Revelle’s squad, and in disappointing fashion as the squad dipped below .500 on the weekend.
PERFORMANCES OF THE WEEK
Carlee Wallace, Baylor – Wallace made program history early in her first season as a Bear, going 4-4 and hitting for the cycle in a run-rule shortened game against the Abilene Christian Wildcats in the second game of a doubleheader between the teams. Wallace drove in six runs on the day and was named the Big 12’s Player of the Week for her efforts. After a single in the first inning, Wallace hit a bases-loaded triple in the second inning; doubled in the fourth; and finished off the feat with a two-run home run in the fifth inning.
Kelly Barnhill, Florida – The Gators pitching ace went 3-0 on the weekend, posting both a no-hitter and a perfect game, against Iowa State and Georgia Southern, respectively. The junior hurler recorded twenty strikeouts between the two stellar outings, and posted forty-four Ks during the week in its entirety, thanks to a 15-strikeout performance against Oakland in midweek action and nine punch-outs against Maryland.
Miranda Elish, Oregon – After appearing in four of her team’s five games at the Mary Nutter Classic, Elish posted a 0.56 ERA on the weekend, allowing just one run in 16.2 innings of work. She allowed just six hits and gave up three walks, striking out twenty-one batters en route to a perfect 2-0 record on the week with one save.
