RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas-Monticello’s Sara Matthews (pictured left) and Kayla Jackson (pictured right) have been named the Great American Conference Softball Players of the Week for their efforts in the final week of the 2012 regular season. The duo helped UAM (36-14, 21-5 GAC) capture the inaugural GAC regular season championship.
GAC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Arkansas-Monticello freshman Sara Matthews has been named the GAC Softball Player of the Week for the first time of her career after hitting .533 with six runs batted in a 4-2 week for the Cotton Blossoms that featured securing the first ever GAC regular season championship. The Hallsville, Texas native was 8-for-15 at the plate and also totaled five runs scored, one double and one homerun. Her weekly slugging percentage was .800. She tallied a .650 weekly on base percentage after also drawing two walks and being hit by a pitch three times in addition to her hit total. She had three multi-hit games, including a pair of perfect 3-for-3 outings. Matthews went 3-for-3 with one RBI in a 9-4 loss to Delta State last Thursday, 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI in a 3-2 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday and 2-for-3 with a homerun and three RBI in another 3-2 win over SWOSU, this time on Sunday in UAM’s regular season title clinching victory.
GAC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Arkansas-Monticello senior Kayla Jackson has kept her streak alive by being named the final GAC Softball Player of the Week for the 2012 season, extending her streak to four consecutive weeks to either be named player or pitcher of the week. The Hallsville, Texas native went 4-0 in the circle over the past week, all complete-game victories including her second no-hitter of the season in a 3-0 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday. For the week, she allowed five runs (two earned), off 10 hits with three walks and 24 strikeouts. Her weekly earned run average was 0.47. She started the week with a nine-inning, 2-1 victory over Delta State last Thursday. She allowed one unearned run in the win off just one hit while walking none and striking out seven. In the series-opener against SWOSU, Jackson hurled a no-hitter, the seventh of her career, while walking just one batter and striking out nine in the 3-0 win. Jackson stayed in the circle for the second game of the double-header and allowed two unearned runs off three hits with two walks and four strikeouts in UAM’s 3-2 win. She concluded her final regular season with another complete-game outing in UAM’s 3-2 win on Sunday to clinch the GAC regular season title. She allowed two runs off six hits with no walks and four strikeouts in that win. Overall this season, Jackson is 27-6 overall in the circle with a 1.13 ERA. She leads the league in wins, ERA, strikeouts (164) and opponent batting average (.171).
NOTABLE NOMINEES
1 – Chelsea Patterson, FR, 2B, East Central (6-for-10, 1 RBI, 2 runs in a 4-0 week)
2 – Hanna Gill, FR, P, Southern Arkansas (3-0 week, 23 innings, 17 hits, 2 runs, 4 walks, 16 strikeouts)
2 – Brianna Nunley, FR, P, East Central (2-0 week, 14 innings, 12 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts)
(1 – nominated for player of the week. 2 – nominated for pitcher of the week.)