It would be hard to find better softball than the product that Oregon brought to the table in their three-game PAC-12 series against Washington. The Ducks took nine innings to take home the first win of the series by a score of 7-2, but two tight-knit victories finished within regulation to close out the series. The Ducks outscored the Huskies 16-7, Megan Kleist added nineteen strikeouts to her season’s total, and the Ducks stole thirteen bases in the trio of games.
South Carolina continued their hot season with a sweep over Mississippi State, while Florida and LSU jockeyed for position in the SEC standings in a back-and-forth series that saw the Gators take the 2-1 series win. Georgia also took a series win over Alabama, while Texas A&M swept Auburn in College Station. A wild final weekend of the regular season is on tap before the SEC tournament.
On the mid-major scene, Drake’s program-record winning streak came to an end with a loss to Loyola. The 3-0 loss was the first in conference play for the Bulldogs since April of 2017. It was also the first time Drake had been on the goose-egg end of a shutout since their March 9 matchup against Oklahoma State.
The Colonial Athletic Association saw a new leader take the conn, as James Madison swept over jumpstart Hofstra to take the conference’s top spot with one week to play. The Hofstra Pride have enjoyed a Cinderella season and sit at #26 in the RPI rankings, but the weekend’s worth of losses will be a tough blow for the team that has looked quite excellent at times during the year.
Now, on to the headlines and highlights of the week that was…
NEWS
- Marshall speedster Elicia D’Orazio set the new program and Conference USA record for career stolen bases with the 163rd of her career.
- Loyola-Marymount head coach Sami Strinz-Ward earned the 200th win of her career.
- Memphis pitcher Molly Smith set the program’s career strikeout record.
- Eastern Illinois head coach Kim Schuette earned the 400th win of her career.
- Elon senior Kara Shutt set the Colonial Athletic Association’s all-time record for doubles with the 61st of her career.
- Towson standout Brook Miko set the Colonial Athletic Association’s single-season RBI mark.
- College of Charleston’s Taylor Dupree set the Colonial Athletic Association’s career hits record.
Drexel star Kristi DeMeo set the program’s new single-season home run record with her 15th longball of the year. - Middle Tennessee State’s Morgan Harris set the program’s all-time RBI record with the 107th of her career.
- Eastern Kentucky slugger Paige Murphy set the program’s single-season home run record with her 17th of the year.
- Abilene Christian senior pitcher Hannah Null set the Wildcats’ single-season strikeouts mark.
- Texas A&M senior Tori Vidales set the program’s record for career total bases.
- McNeese star Erika Piancastelli set the new Southland Conference home run record with the 70th longball of her career.
- D2: Angelo State’s Madison Greenwell set the program’s career hits record.
- Congratulations to the pitchers who recorded no-hitters and perfect games this weekend:
- Aubree Kim, Santa Clara (vs. Pacific, 7.0 IP, 8 SO)
- Jen Szilagyi, Niagara (vs. Rider, 7.0 IP, 9 SO)
- Amber Fiser, Minnesota (vs. Purdue, 5.0 IP, 6 SO)
- Carley Hoover, LSU (vs. South Alabama, 7.0 IP, 8 SO)
- Morgan Rackel, Austin Peay (vs. Eastern Illinois, 7.0 IP, 11 SO)
- Chelsea Evans, Saint Joseph’s (vs. Lasalle, 7.0 IP, 5 SO)
- Anna Brooks Pacha, Georgetown (vs. Creighton, 7.0 IP, 12 SO)
- Jessica Flores, Long Beach State (vs. Cal Poly, 7.0 IP, 2 SO)
WORTH WATCHING
This viral video of Texas A&M senior Sarah Hudek.
We've all been there let's be honest. You're an outfielder in full gear catching a bullpen for one of your buddies when you decide that snagging a burrito between pitches is the best way to take a quick break. @sarahhudekk is living her best life. @AggieSoftball #12thman pic.twitter.com/HQqDaRQj3s
— Matt Trent (@MCTrent23) April 26, 2018
WHO’S HOT, WHO’S NOT
HOT: Austin Peay
The closest that the Governors have come to a .500 record this decade was an 18-26 showing in 2013. The squad has earned 35 wins over the past three seasons combined; with four games left in the regular season and the conference tournament to follow, first-year head coach Rodney Delong has his club in a good position to reach that number of victories this season alone. Non-conference wins over Central Arkansas; Rutgers; and Mercer highlight the the Govs’ schedule, to go along with conference series sweeps over UT-Martin; SIU-Edwardsville; and Eastern Illinois.
NOT: Auburn
Since a series win over Tennessee the weekend after Easter, the Tigers lost both games of a shortened, two-game series at Missouri; took two out of three at home against Arkansas; and scored just two runs in a three-game sweep at the hands of Texas A&M. With a non-conference doubleheader all that remains on the regular-season schedule for Mickey Dean’s club, the Tigers will end the year a game below .500 in conference play and with their best non-conference wins coming against Wichita State and Kennesaw State. The SEC tournament looms next week with the NCAA postseason to follow; even if the Tigers should collect a Regional hosting opportunity, don’t expect it to be an easy road through the postseason for them.
PERFORMANCES OF THE WEEK:
>>> Molly Smith, Memphis – The Tigers’ senior ace started all four of her team’s games this week, including a midweek matchup against Central Arkansas and all three conference games against Tulsa at home. Smith posted twenty-one consecutive scoreless innings to start off the week before a Julia Hollingsworth first-inning home run on Sunday. Smith gave up three runs on Sunday, the first scoring done by a Tigers’ opponent all week. She finished the week with a line of 22.2 innings pitched, 13 hits, and 3 runs, to go along with 22 strikeouts.
>>> Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma – The standout freshman added three home runs to her season’s total, giving her the nation’s lead with twenty-three on the year. The star slugger hit .375 on the weekend in a three-game set against Texas; each of her three hits in the series went over the wall, giving her three RBI on the week, as well. Casting fear into opposing pitchers, Alo also earned a trio of walks.
