Steffi Best, Cal Poly
Prior to a 5-0 loss on Sunday, Best had been a bright spot amidst a dismal 2019 season for Poly, riding a 23-inning streak without allowing an earned run. During the streak, which dated back into March, Best struck out twelve while allowing sixteen hits. The Mustangs’ right-hander finished 1-2 during the streak, allowing a handful of unearned runs with just four runs in four games scored in support of her. The junior hurler has already passed her career cumulative totals from before the season in innings pitched, appearances, and strikeouts.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Taking on archrivals Virginia, the Hokies swept by the Cavaliers for the second straight season, shutting out their opponents in the Commonwealth Clash in each of the series’ three games. A decisive run-rule win in the series opener also saw the Hokies’ Emma Strouth set a new program record for single-season RBIs as she drove in four in the 8-0 victory. The Hokies allowed just seven hits on the weekend, including a one-hitter by Keely Rochard in the middle game of the series that served as an encore performance to her midweek perfect game against James Madison.
Erin Poepping, East Carolina
Despite losing the conference series to Tulsa, the Pirates salvaged the series finale against the Golden Hurricane thanks to an impressive performance by their pitching ace, who posted the first extra-inning, complete game shutout of her career. Poepping allowed ten hits, but no runs, in the 8-inning affair, scattering four strikeouts and keeping the Golden Hurricane off the board, while her team picked her up in the bottom of the eighth inning with the walk-off victory.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Sweeping past conference foe UAB, the Golden Eagles ran their winning streak to nine straight games and moving to 11-7 in conference play on the year. Pitching ace Abby Trahan posted a pair of complete game shutouts against the Blazers on the weekend, including a 4-0 victory in the series finale on Sunday.
Brittany Finney, Ole Miss
In a season that has seen her break out with effectiveness as a #2 option in the pitching circle, it was Finney’s bat that made the difference for the Rebels this weekend, as she came recorded game-winning RBIs in both games of a doubleheader sweep against Missouri on Friday. A 2-run home run off the bat of the senior gave the Rebels the extra-inning win in the series opener, while a 2nd-inning RBI from Finney was all that the Rebels needed to pull out the series win.
UMass Minutewomen
In an important Atlantic 10 doubleheader against George Washington, the Minutewomen rode a walk-off win into an offensive explosion to take the series win. While the Colonials avoided the series sweep on Sunday, the series-opening doubleheader on Saturday was all about the Minutewomen. An 8th-inning RBI single by Madison Gimpl in the opening game gave UMass all of the momentum, as they went on to post a 14-run onslaught in game two, one that included fourteen runs on thirteen hits, including nine Minutewomen with a hit in the game. Gimpl, for her part, finished the day with six RBIs.
Whitney Hinton, Samford
The junior infielder had quite the day for the SoCon-leading Bulldogs on Friday, clubbing a trio of home runs and driving in eight runs in a doubleheader sweep. In the opening game of the doubleheader, Hinton went 3-4 with a pair of home runs, collecting four RBIs. Later, in game two, it was the hot-hitting second baseman who got the scoring started with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to immediately put the Bulldogs in front. The trio of longballs took her season’s total to eleven.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
While the Yellow Jackets’ series sweep over Pitt was impressive and most-welcome, as it put the Jackets over the .500 mark in conference play, what turned heads more than anything else was a one-of-a-kind comeback in the series finale. Down 9-0 after an inning and a half, the Yellow Jackets mounted a comeback that included eighteen unanswered runs, including five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to bring about a run-rule final. The Jackets’ offensive attack was led by center fielder Cameron Stanford, who hit two home runs in the game and drove in seven.
Georgina Corrick, South Florida
In a series-opening classic, Corrick led the Bulls to a victory to kick off the War on I-4, throwing thirteen innings of shutout ball against the Knights. The only pitcher to take the circle for the Bulls in the prolonged affair, Corrick allowed just seven hits and no runs, striking out ten. The 13 innings was by far a season high, nearly doubling her previous mark.
Northwestern Wildcats
Facing Wisconsin in an underrated Big Ten matchup between a pair of quality teams, the Wildcats bested the Badgers in each game to earn the series sweep in front of their own home crowd in Evanston. A pair of RBI singles and an error led to the Wildcats’ scoring in the series opener, though game two took on a different tone as a so-called ‘power show’, with three home runs from three differerent Wildcats. The series finale was more of the same, with home runs providing all of the scoring, including a 10th-inning solo shot from Lily Novak to put the series in the books.
Sarah Lisko, South Dakota
Prior to the weekend, Lisko had just two appearances of five or more innings in the circle this year, including her season debut in February against Dayton and a March 9th upset win over Michigan. In the month of April, Lisko had thrown just eight pitches, in a 0.1 inning performance against Iowa State on April 2nd. She appeared twice this weekend against conference foe North Dakota, throwing eleven innings without allowing an earned run and striking out five. Lisko scattered nine hits across the two appearances and gave up just one wallk, helping lead her Coyotes to wins in both matchups.
Washington Huskies
While the Huskies allowed Arizona State to score in each of the series’ first two games, breaking the streak if their conference mates being shutout, UW dominated the three-game set between the two teams, scoring twenty-three runs across the three games and sweeping past the Sun Devils. The series finale was a 6-0 shutout, a 3-hit, 11-strikeout performance by Gabbie Plain. The Huskies’ offense was led by Morganne Flores, who hit three home runs, and Madison Huskey (yes, that’s her name, and yes, it’s spelled correctly) added a pair of longballs.
