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BAY CITY, Mich. - Grand Valley State University sophomore infielder Briauna Taylor (Livonia, Mich./Franklin) and Ashland University senior pitcher Emlyn Knerem (Brunswick, Ohio) have been chosen as the GLIAC Softball "Player of the Week" and "Pitcher of the Week", respectively.
GLIAC Softball Player of the
Week:
Briauna Taylor
Grand Valley State
5-9, Sophomore, Infielder
Livonia, Mich./Franklin
Briauna Taylor had a tremendous opening week at the NTC Spring
Games in Clermont, Fla., as she led the #21 Lakers to an 11-1
record. Taylor hit .514 with a .973 slugging percentage, totaling
19 hits, 10 runs, four triples, three home runs, and 16 RBI. Taylor
had seven multi-hit games and five games of at least two RBI. She
recorded three games with three hits and tallied at least three RBI
in each of those contests.
Softball Player Weekly
Honor Roll: Frankie Gironda - AU; Tori Allen - UF;
Makenzi Peterson - FS; Amanda Maxon - LS; Alex Cribari - OD; Ashley
Coffin - SV; Alison Allen - WS.
2012 "Players of the Week": (3/13) Briauna
Taylor - GV.
GLIAC Softball Pitcher of
the Week:
Emlyn Knerem
Ashland
5-8, Senior, Pitcher
Brunswick, Ohio
Emlyn Knerem went 7-0 on
Ashland’s Florida trip playing in the Rebel Spring Games in
Kissimmee, Fla. Currently she has a 10-0 record on the season.
Knerem totaled three shutouts on the spring trip including a
five-hit complete game shutout to defeat 16th-ranked C.W. Post,
5-0. Against Edinboro, she entered the game in relief and faced
nine batters and struck out all nine. Hitters had a .174
batting average against Knerem in Florida.
Softball Pitcher Weekly Honor Roll: Julia Stadler - UF; Dana Bowler - FS; Hannah Santora - GV; Rachael Stanzel - OD; Alexa Gehrls - SV.
2012 "Pitchers of the Week": (3/13) Emlyn Knerem - AU.
Ashland Eagles
The Eagles went 9-3 on their spring
trip to Florida. Ashland ended the trip on a five-game winning
streak…senior pitcher Emlyn Knerem (Brunswick, Ohio) was 7-0
on the trip with six complete games. Knerem hurled a complete-game
five-hitter against nationally-ranked C.W. Post…freshman
outfielder Taylor Menhart (Twinsburg, Ohio) is off to a good start,
she leads the team with 12 RBI. Junior first baseman Frankie
Gironda (Akron, Ohio/Hoban) has driven in 10 runs. Gironda
hit .303 on the spring trip.
Ferris State Bulldogs
The Ferris State University
softball team started off its 2012 campaign by posting a 6-8 mark
on its annual trip to Florida for the Florida Rebel Spring Games
Tournament last week in Kissimmee, Fla. The Bulldogs played
13 games in a eight-day period with the non-conference contests
held at the Osceola County Softball Complex, Fortune Road Athletic
Complex, and Oren Brown Park. Senior third baseman Makenzi Peterson
posted a squad-best .367 batting average in 14 games during
FSU’s annual spring trip to the Florida Rebel Spring Games in
Kissimmee, Fla. Peterson compiled 18 hits and scored 10 runs
while driving in six as the Bulldogs posted a 6-8 mark. She
had a .449 slugging percentage and tallied two doubles with a
triple in 22 at-bats. Three Bulldog players hit .300 or better on
the trip, including Peterson, Amy Dunleavy (.333) and first baseman
Chelsea Morris (.317). FSU pitcher Dana Bowler started seven games
in the circle and pitched a squad-high 48 innings on the trip. The
Bulldogs return to Big Rapids for a scheduled non-league home
opening doubleheader versus Aquinas on March 19 at the FSU Softball
Field.
Findlay
Oilers
The Oilers went 4-3 on their spring
trip and were led by Tori Allen, who hit .522 with six doubles, one
home run and five runs-batted-in. She had 12 hits and also
scored seven runs during the stretch. Brittany Dauterman hit
two home runs and drove in a team-high seven runs during the trip
as well.
Grand Valley State Lakers
Grand Valley State went 11-1 at the NTC Spring Games in
Clermont, Fla., as the Lakers won their first nine games. GVSU
outscored its opponents 84-23, owned a team batting average of
.355, and the pitchers sported an earned run average of 1.08. The
Lakers totaled 31 extra-base hits (19 doubles, seven triples, five
homers) in 12 games, while their opponents combined for just nine
extra-base hits (all doubles)…sophomore shortstop Briauna
Taylor (Livonia, Mich./Livonia Franklin) hit .514 with a .973
slugging percentage, as she recorded four triples, three homers,
and 16 RBI. Junior centerfielder Nellie Kosola (Frankfort,
Ill./Lincoln Way East) owned a team-high .524 batting average,
while also leading the team in runs (17) and hits (22). Kosola
reached base in all 12 games, tallied six multi-hit contests
(including a pair of four-hit games), and scored two or more runs
in six games…the Laker pitching was tremendous, as junior
Hannah Santora (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North) was 4-0 with a
0.48 ERA and allowed only two earned runs and 13 hits in 29.0
innings. Senior Andrea Nicholson (Avon Lake, Ohio) was 5-1 with a
1.32 ERA and gave up just seven earned runs in 37.0 innings.
Hillsdale Chargers
The Hillsdale College softball team
got off to a 1-4 start on its opening weekend of the new season,
losing all three games at West Virginia State before splitting a
Sunday twinbill with Rio Grande (Ohio)…Freshman pitchers
Katie Drdrey and Kelsie Prendel each made their first career starts
on the mound for the Chargers last weekend…Pitcher Laura
Homan recorded her first win of the season, and has a 13-2
strikeout-to-walk ratio in three starts…Junior shortstop
Kate Hoop led the team with a .700 batting average and seven hits
in five games…The team already has 10 stolen bases through
five games this season, compared to 23 stolen bases in 47 games in
2011…Hillsdale heads to Florida this week where it will play
nationally ranked opponents Lock Haven and Augustana, among
others.
Lake Erie Storm
Lake Erie College’s softball
team is on the annual spring break trip participating in the Rebel
Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. The Storm have started the season
0-3.
Lake Superior State Lakers
Lake Superior
State traveled to California for the first time in school history
and finished 3-4 during its spring break trip Feb. 26-March 2.
Redshirt freshman shortstop Amanda Maxon (Munising, Mich.) led LSSU
in batting average at .364, hits with eight and RBIs with six. She
also had two home runs. Sophomore pitcher Felicia Gingrich (St.
Johns, Mich.) batted .350 and was 1-2 as a pitcher. The
team’s only senior, pitcher Jillian Willette (Escanaba,
Mich.) was 1-1 and posted the pitching staff’s best earned
run average of 2.93. Freshman Brandi Anderson (Negaunee, Mich.) was
also 1-1 on the mound. LSSU began its trip by winning two
exhibition games against the Antelope Valley club team, 11-2 (five
innings) and 5-4 (8 innings), finishing 2-1 in extra-inning
contests in California. The Lakers are idle until they begin GLIAC
play March 23 at Ohio Dominican.
Northwood Timberwolves
Northwood is on the annual spring break trip participating in the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. The Timberwolves have started the season 1-3 and had two games cancelled in Florida.
Ohio Dominican Panthers
ODU is off to a 3-5 start in the
2012 campaign. Freshman catcher Alex Cribari (Lyndhurst, OH) led
the Panthers’ offense batting .412 (7-of-17) with .588
slugging percentage in six starts. She currently boasts team highs
in hits (7), multi-hit games (3), runs (4), triples (1), total
bases (10), hit by pitches (4), on-base percentage (.545) and
stolen bases (3) and is fourth in Division II in hits by pitch per
game (0.67). In six starts, junior Brooke McCartney (Salem, OH)
also collected seven hits, including a 3-for-4 effort versus
Lander, while driving in a team leading five runs. Freshman Kelsey
Seeds (Westerville, OH), sophomore Rebekha Lucas (Laurelville, OH)
and senior Kylee Crislip (Louisville, OH) all tallied five hits
apiece. Freshman Rachael Stanzel (Angleton, TX) collected all three
wins for ODU, while sporting 3-1 record and 2.25 ERA in four starts
and 28.0 innings of work, including three complete games. She
spaced seven hits and two earned runs over eight innings, while
striking out a season-best nine batters and walking just one in the
4-3 game one win over Bellarmine. Following the two-week hiatus,
the Panthers return to the diamond next on their Spring Break trip
when they head to Texas for four road doubleheaders in four days,
beginning at 2 p.m. on Monday, March 12 against St. Edward’s
in Austin.
Saginaw Valley State Cardinals
The Saginaw Valley State University
softball team returned home from the very competitive 2012 Rebel
Spring Games with a 7-7 overall record, defeating #11 C.W. Post 1-0
and #10 Indiana (Pa.), 3-1 along the way. SVSU was led by
senior Ashley Coffin who posted a .279 batting average, while
Natalie Wellman posted a .244 batting average with 10 hits and four
runs batted in. Junior Alexa Gehrls finished with a 6-1 overall
record in the circle while Jillian Williamson compiled a 1-6
overall record and two saves for the week, but only gave up 11
earned runs in nine games of action. The Cardinals have a
team ERA of 1.04 this season and have struck out 95 batters.
Saginaw Valley will be back in action on Friday (Mar. 23) when they
travel to Lake Erie for their first GLIAC competition of the 2012
season. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 PM.
Tiffin Dragons
Tiffin has started the season 9-2 and is currently in Florida for the spring trip. The Dragons will start GLIAC play March 23 at home against Grand Valley State.
Wayne State Warriors
Wayne State
began the year with a 1-3 mark at the Charger Chillout in Decatur,
Ala. (Feb. 17-18) with the final day being rained out. The
Warriors went 3-2 at the Catawba Invitational (Salisbury, N.C.) on
Feb. 24-26, before beginning their spring break trip with a 7-2
triumph over Wheeling Jesuit on Saturday. Head coach Gary
Bryce moved into 18th on the NCAA All-Time wins list (all
divisions) with 1,012 following the victory over WJU. Senior
Alison Allen (Redford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy) has started
six games at third base and is leading the team with a .400 batting
average (12-30). She has a team-best 12 hits, while ranking
second in doubles (3), walks (4) and on-base percentage (.486)
behind sophomore second baseman Nikki Fulton (Stratford, Ont. / St.
Michael Catholic S.S.). Fulton leads the squad in runs scored
(9), walks (5) and on-base percentage (.500), and is second in both
batting average (.393) and slugging percentage (.571). Junior
outfielder Stephanie Foreman (Cambridge, Ont. / Preston) leads the
team in doubles (4), slugging percentage (.696) and RBI (8).
WSU has eight more games scheduled as part of the Rebel Spring
Games (in Kissimee, Fla.) before returning home to start GLIAC play
on March 23 vs. Hillsdale.