PSAC Softball Athletes of the Week - 7
Kutztown’s STEPH DENLINGER is the PSAC East Player of the Week for the fourth time this year after hitting .733 for the week and breaking another NCAA Division II career record. Her teammate, MARY HOCH, is this week’s PSAC East Pitcher of the Week after not allowing an earned run in over 20 innings pitched as the Golden Bears clinched the PSAC East title. IUP’s MEGAN MCCORMICK is this week’s PSAC Central Player of the Week while Lock Haven’s KRISTIN ERB earns her sixth straight PSAC Central Pitcher of the Week. California made it a sweep in the PSAC West as ALYSON JOHNSON and SONIA PETROSONIAK are the Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.
PSAC East Player of the Week
Steph Denlinger, Kutztown
Senior, 1B
Harleysville, Pa./Souderton
Denlinger is this week’s PSAC East Player of the Week for the fourth time this year after a monster week saw her hit .733 (11-for-15) with a 1.400 slugging percentage and an .840 on-base percentage in Kutztown’s 5-1 week. She had four doubles, two home runs, nine RBI and scored 10 runs. Denlinger, who earlier this year broke the NCAA Division II career record for home runs, broke another NCAA Division II mark last week as she shattered the mark for career walks by drawing 10 on the week. She now has 152 career free passes, surpassing the previous mark of 145 by Taiisha Pleasant of Humboldt State (1997-00). Her biggest game came in a wild 17-10 come-from-behind win over East Stroudsburg in which she went 3-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI and four runs scored. Denlinger also had four doubles on the week.
PSAC East Pitcher of the Week
Mary Hoch, Kutztown
Sophomore, P
Somerton, Pa./St. Hubert
Hoch earns her first PSAC East Pitcher of the Week honor of the season and becomes the second different Golden Bear hurler to earn the award this year, after teammate Katlin Arbogast captured the award three times earlier this year. Hoch went 4-0 in five appearances last week, including one start and did not allow an earned run in 22.2 innings of work. She struck out 19 and walked six while allowing 13 hits and just one unearned run. Hoch picked up wins in both ends of the doubleheader against East Stroudsburg, earning both victories in relief. Hoch then threw a complete game, three-hit shutout, striking out three and walking three to help the Golden Bears defeat Bloomsburg in the second game of a doubleheader, earning the split. She then wrapped up the week by earning another win in relief over West Chester.
PSAC Central Player of the Week
Megan McCormick, IUP
Freshman, 3B/C
Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley
McCormick did her part to keep IUP alive for a bid to the PSAC playoffs, as she drove in 13 runs in IUP’s six games last week. Although she hit just .273 (6-for-22) and the Crimson Hawks lost out on a coin flip for the final playoff spot, McCormick provided a glimpse of the future for IUP as all six of her hits went for extra bases, making for a .954 slugging percentage. She hit four home runs and also had a double and a triple and also scored four runs in IUP’s 3-3 week last week. Her biggest game came against Mansfield in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader. With IUP facing a must-win situation to stay in contention, McCormick went 3-for-5 with a triple and two home runs and seven RBI in a wild 10-inning, 16-12 win. She also hit two-run homers in a loss to Bloomsburg and a win over Clarion and drove in IUP’s only run in a 2-1 loss to Mansfield in the first game.
PSAC Central Pitcher of the Week
Kristin Erb, Lock Haven
Senior, P
Reading, Pa./Exeter Township
Erb is the PSAC Central Pitcher of the Week for the sixth straight week after going 4-0 for the week and leading Lock Haven to the PSAC Central Division championship. In 25 innings last week, Erb allowed just 13 hits and one earned run for a 0.28 ERA. She walked just four and struck out 31 while holding the opposition to a .151 batting average. Her exploits last week included a six-inning perfect game in the first game against Clarion, striking out 10, and a five-inning no-hitter in the second contest against Clarion last Friday. In addition, Erb also helped her own cause, hitting .417 at the plate for the week with five RBI.
PSAC West Player of the Week
Alyson Johnson, California (Pa.)
Freshman, C
Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg Central
Johnson hit .412 (7-for-17) with three home runs and nine RBI last week for the Vulcans, who went 5-1 and wrapped up the PSAC West title. Six of her seven hits went for extra bases, as she also had three doubles in addition to her three round-trippers and had a 1.118 slugging percentage. She also scored five runs. In the doubleheader against Gannon, she went a combined 4-for-6 with a double, two homers, five RBI and three runs, including bashing both home runs in the first game. In the doubleheader against Edinboro, she went a combined 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and RBI. Johnson closed the week with a home run and two RBI in the twinbill against Slippery Rock.
PSAC West Pitcher of the Week
Sonia Petrosoniak, California (Pa.)
Junior, P
Mississauga, Ontario/Clarkson
Petrosoniak earns her second PSAC West Pitcher of the Week award this year, claiming the final award of the season after she also claimed the first weekly award of the year last month. She went 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in three games for the Vulcans last week. She struck out 13 and did not walk any in 13.2 innings, giving up nine hits and four runs, three earned. Petrosoniak opened the week with a 5.2-inning scoreless stint in relief against Gannon to earn the win as she limited the Golden Knights to just two hits in her five-plus innings. She then tossed four innings in a start and win against Edinboro, alloowing three earned runs but walking none. She then wrapped up the week by throwing four scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit, against Slippery Rock.