RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Southern Arkansas’ Sarah Higginbotham and Henderson State’s Kayla Williams earned the Great American Conference’s Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week honors for the sixth week of play, the conference office announced on Tuesday.
 
GAC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Sarah Higginbotham, Southern Arkansas, C, So., Bedford, Texas
Higginbotham had an outstanding two games against Southwestern Oklahoma State over the weekend. The sophomore catcher went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and five RBI. In the opening game, Higginbotham drove in four of her team's five runs as she hit a pair of home runs and added a sacrifice fly.
 
GAC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Kayla Williams, Henderson State, RHP, Jr., Longview, Texas
Williams threw a pair of complete-game victories against No. 2 Southeastern Oklahoma State. She improved to 8-4 after she allowed five earned runs over 14.0 innings of work. She struck out nine batters over the two starts. Over the four-game series, she contributed four hits in 11 at bats at the plate and she scored twice.
 
NOTABLE NOMINEES
- Summer Huddleston, 2B, Jr., Arkansas-Monticello (Went 3-for-5 with a home run and two runs scored in split vs ECU)
- Laura Mabary, OF, Fr., Henderson State (Hit .462 with three runs scored against No. 2 Southeastern Oklahoma State)
- Courtney Moore, C, Sr., Southeastern Oklahoma State (Went 4-for-8 with three RBI against Henderson State)
- Whitney Robinson, RHP/Ut, So., Arkansas Tech (Three of her four hits in 4-game sweep vs OBU were doubles; hit .333)
- Shelby Simmons, SS, Sr., East Central (Hit .714 with a 4-for-4 performance against Arkansas-Monticello)
- Monique Zevada, C/DH, Sr., Northwestern Oklahoma State (Hit a pair of home runs during series with Southern Nazarene)
 
NOTABLE PITCHING NOMINEES
- Hanna Gil, RHP, So., Southern Arkansas (Struck out 17 and allowed only five hits in 10.0 IP vs SWOSU; picked up two wins)
- Mindy McElroy, RHP, Jr., Southeastern Oklahoma State (In 3 apps, allowed only two earned runs in 13.0 innings vs HSU)
- Lacey Paulk, RHP, Fr., East Central (Struck out 13 in complete game, shutout victory against Arkansas-Monticello)
- Katie Slaughter, RHP, So., Arkansas-Monticello (Threw complete game vs ECU; earned win and struck out eight)
- Victoria Huie, RHP, So., Arkansas Tech (Earned two wins with a pair of complete games against Ouachita Baptist)