LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced its Softball Athletes of the Week. In the East, West Chester's Madison Melvin was named Athlete of the Week for the second consecutive week while East Stroudsburg's Sarah Davenport was selected as Pitcher of the Week. In the West, both California's Caleigh Rister and Gannon's Abbey Girman earned Co-Athlete of the Week honors, while IUP's Kendall Young was recognized as Pitcher of the Week.
Eastern Division Athlete of the Week
Madison Melvin
West Chester
Centerfield
Graduate Student
Tabernacle, N.J. / Seneca
Melvin had another outstanding week in the final week of the regular season, picking up eight hits in 20 at-bats (.400) as she set two new PSAC records in a historic week for the veteran outfielder. Melvin started her week with a pair of hits against Shippensburg as the graduate student helped lead West Chester to an important sweep of the Raiders, while also setting the PSAC record for career hits with her 321st in game one. Melvin also scored a pair of runs and drove in another while working two walks and stealing three bases in the sweep. Friday against Kutztown, Melvin played in what may have been her final doubleheader at home and was exceptional, going 4-for-8 at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI to help lead West Chester to an important split with the Golden Bears. At Shepherd on Saturday, Melvin was 2-for-5 with an RBI triple while also scoring a run, which allowed her to break the PSAC record for career runs scored, scoring her 235th run. Melvin also stole a base in this game, increasing her total to the week for four. Melvin ended the week with a .550 slugging percentage and a .455 on-base percentage to go along with her .400 average at the plate.
Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week
Sarah Davenport
East Stroudsburg
Pitcher
Freshman
Hillsborough, N.J. / Hillsborough
Davenport completed another impressive week with five appearances, totaling a 3-0 record with two saves in 22.3 innings pitched. She allowed just two earned runs and two extra-base hits while striking out 43 opposing batters as East Stroudsburg went 5-0 and secured the East's top seed in this week's 2024 PSAC Softball Championship.
Western Division Co-Athlete of the Week
Caleigh Rister
California
Pitcher/Designated Player
Junior
Bucyrus, Ohio / Bucyrus
Rister posted an .826 average (19-for-23) with 13 RBI and 12 runs scored, plus a 1.976 OPS, over seven games last week, as the Vulcans posted a 5-2 mark during the final week of the regular season. She finished with a 1.130 slugging percentage behind five extra-base hits and registered an .846 on-base percentage while batting primarily No. 2 in the lineup. Rister collected a combined eight hits, five RBI and six run scored on Monday in a doubleheader split at Edinboro. The following day, the Ohio native recorded four hits, four RBI, two runs scored and one walk while sweeping a twinbill at Seton Hill. Rister finished with three hits, one RBI and two runs scored in a halted game at IUP that was finished on Wednesday. The 5-foot-4 junior closed the regular season with a combined four hits, three RBI, two runs scored, one walk and one hit by pitch on Friday in a doubleheader sweep against the Fighting Scots. Additionally, Rister posted a 3-1 record in the circle and tallied 19 strikeouts in 20.0 innings pitched.
Western Division Co-Athlete of the Week
Abbey Girman
Gannon
Outfielder
Junior
Bridgeville, Pa. / South Fayette
In nine games, Girman hit .500 (14-of-28) with six runs and 15 RBIs. She totaled two doubles, four HRs and three stolen bases, leading Gannon to a 9-0 record for the week as Gannon clinched the number one seed in the Western Division for this week's upcoming 2024 PSAC Softball Championship. She had 6 games with at least a pair of hits and drove in seven runs with a home run in each game in the doubleheader sweep at IUP. She added three RBIs with another home run in game 2 vs. Edinboro.
Western Division Pitcher of the Week
Kendall Young
IUP
Pitcher
Freshman
St. Marys, Pa. / St. Marys Area
Young finished the regular season with 15 consecutive scoreless innings and tossed her first collegiate no-hitter in a 16-0 victory against UPJ in five innings. She outdueled Seton Hill starter Lauren Dellett in a1-0 victory on April 27 with the win ultimately pushing IUP into the fifth spot to secure the final playoff berth in the PSAC Western Division for this week's upcoming 2024 PSAC Softball Championship. She struck out 27 batters on the week.