RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the league’s Players of the Week for the 10th week of the 2015 softball season. Harding’s Courtney Derrick earned the Player of the Week award and Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Jacee Bennett claimed the Pitcher of the Week honor.
GAC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Courtney Derrick, Harding, CF, So., McKinney, Texas
Derrick helped the Lady Bisons post a 5-1 record last week as she hit .471 from the leadoff spot. She reached base 13 times in her 22 plate appearances. In a four-game sweep of Southwestern Oklahoma State, she scored seven times, drove in seven runs and stole six bases. For the week, she stole eight bases and increased her total to a GAC-leading 24.
GAC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Jacee Bennett, Southeastern Oklahoma State, RHP, Jr., Colbert, Oklahoma
Bennett threw a pair of complete games as part of a four-game sweep of Arkansas-Monticello that moved the Savage Storm into a tie for first place. In two starts, she allowed only four hits and two earned runs while she recorded nine strikeouts. In her first plate appearance of the season, she hit a game-winning three-run home run in the series finale.
NOTABLE PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
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Shelby Anderson, Sr., 1B/P, Northwestern Oklahoma State (Hit. 417 as Rangers took three of four from No. 23 ATU)
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Maddie Dow, So., DP, Southern Arkansas (Recorded first three-HR game in SAU history; hit four home runs in 10 at bats)
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Sydney Kramer, Jr., 3B, Southeastern Oklahoma State (Reached base nine times in 13 plate appearances; SE swept UAM)
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Whitney Robinson, Sr., OF, Arkansas Tech (Hit .421 with a pair of home runs and eight RBI in her six games last week)
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Sam Smith, So., OF, Southern Nazarene (Hit two home runs, including a grand slam, as SNU took three of four from OBU)
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Autumn Suydam, Jr., OF, East Central (Homered, scored five times and drove in four as ECU won its series against SAU)
NOTABLE PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
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Katelyn Brown, Fr., RHP, Southern Nazarene (Surrendered only one run in two complete-game wins vs Ouachita Baptist)
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Sydnee Clark, So., RHP, Arkansas Tech (Improved to 8-2 with two wins; struck out in 11 in 14.2 IP; allowed one earned run)
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Allora Miller, Sr., LHP, Northwestern Oklahoma State (Struck out 15 in 13.1 IP; split two decisions vs No. 23 Arkansas Tech)
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Lacey Paulk, Jr., RHP, East Central (Earned a win and a save vs SAU; threw 7.0 scoreless innings; held SAU to a .160 average)
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Amber Rollins, Sr., RHP, Harding (Went 4-0 with two complete games; won three times vs Southwestern Oklahoma State)