RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas-Monticello’s Kayla Jackson (pictured left) and Katie Slaughter (pictured right) have been named the Great American Conference Softball Players of the Week after vaulting the Cotton Blossoms into first place in the league standings following a four-game sweep of Ouachita Baptist on the road this past weekend.

GAC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Arkansas-Monticello senior first baseman/pitcher Kayla Jackson has been named the GAC Softball Player of the Week for the first time this season after recording a .533 weekly batting average during UAM’s four wins over Ouachita Baptist this past Saturday and Sunday in Arkadelphia, Ark. The Hallsville, Texas native went 8-for-15 with five runs scored and six runs batted in. Her weekly stats were highlighted by three homeruns, including a two-homerun game to up her season total to seven round-trippers. Jackson went 3-for-4 with one run scored in the series-opening 3-2 win, 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two RBI and one homerun during Sunday’s game one 8-1 win and 2-for-4 with two runs scored, four RBI and two homeruns in the 4-0 series finale victory. She ended the four-game set with a weekly slugging percentage of 1.133. In addition to her offensive numbers, Jackson also picked up a pair of complete-game pitching victories. She worked 15 innings in the circle, allowing three runs off 17 hits with just one walk and 10 strikeouts. Jackson now holds a 16-4 record this season with a 1.48 earned run average.

GAC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Arkansas-Monticello freshman Katie Slaughter has been named the GAC Softball Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season after tossing a pair of complete-game shutouts during UAM’s four-game sweep of OBU this past weekend on the road. The Austin, Texas native allowed six hits with three strikeouts in a 1-0 win on Saturday, and then allowed just three hits with six strikeouts in a 4-0 win on Sunday. Slaughter did not allow a walk during the series and held the OBU hitters to a .176 batting average to improve her overall season record to 8-6. Slaughter was named pitcher of the week for the first time this season on February 14.

NOTABLE NOMINEES
1 – Whitney Hamilton, FR, DP, SE Oklahoma State (4-for-6, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1 homerun in a 2-0 week)
1 – Natalie Magie, JR, INF, Arkansas Tech (6-for-9, 5 RBI, 3 walks in a 3-1 week)
1 – Kristyn Shawver, SR, OF, SW Oklahoma State (8-for-15, 2 RBI, 1 run, 1 double in a 1-3 week)
2 – Hanna Gill, FR, P, Southern Arkansas (3-0 week, 19 innings, 21 hits, 7 runs, 11 strikeouts, 0 walks)
2 – Audra Rhudy, SR, P, SE Oklahoma State (2-0 week, 11 innings, 10 hits, 3 runs, 5 strikeouts, 1 walk)
2 – Victorie Huie, FR, P, Arkansas Tech (2-0 week, 17.2 innings, 11 hits, 6 runs, 3 earned, 8 strikeouts, 2 walks)
(1 - nominated for player of the week. 2 - nominated for pitcher of the week.)