LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced its Softball Athletes of the Week. In the East, East Stroudsburg's Delaney Ridgell earned Athlete of the Week honors, while Shippensburg's Dani Hayward was recognized as Pitcher of the Week. In the West, Clarion's Brooke Dobson (Athlete) and IUP's Taylor Bumgardner (Pitcher) took home the honors.
Eastern Division Athlete of the Week
Delaney Ridgell
East Stroudsburg
Catcher
Senior
Mount Airy, Md. / Linganore
Ridgell led ESU to a 5-1 record this past week. She went 12-for-17 at the plate (.706), hit two doubles and two home runs, batted in six, and scored 10 runs. She stole one base and had 33 putouts. She hit home runs in both of the first games against Wilmington and Adelphi. Against Molloy she went 3-for-4 and scored two runs. Against Wilmington she went 5-for-7, scored four runs, batted in five, and homered. Against Adelphi she went 4-for-6, scored four runs, batted in four, and homered… and went 3-for-3 in the second game with three runs scored. Ridgell has recorded 14 straight games with at least one hit.
Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week
Dani Hayward
Shippensburg
Pitcher
Sophomore
Hamburg, Pa. / Berks Catholic
Hayward went 2-1 with a save in a 5-1 overall week for the Raiders. In 23 innings, Hayward struck out 30 batters. She threw three complete games, beginning the week with a shutout of Pitt-Johnstown. She struck out a season-best eight batters and only allowed three hits. After a tough start to the game against Charleston, Hayward scattered one run on five hits over her final five innings against the Golden Eagles. Overall, Hayward finished with a career-high 11 strikeouts – the performance was the second double-digit strikeout game of her career. On Sunday, Hayward pitched in both SU wins; she earned the save against Slippery Rock and the complete-game victory against Glenville State. Hayward threw nine innings in total, allowed three earned runs, and struck out 11 on the day.
Western Division Athlete of the Week
Brooke Dobson
Clarion
Outfield
Sophomore
West Seneca, N.Y. / St. Mary's
Dobson came alive at the plate in the second half of the Golden Eagles' week at the Spring Games in Florida, batting .588 with a team-best OPS of 1.220 over the team's final six games. Earning a spot in the starting lineup after the team's day off on Monday, Dobson cemented her spot in the two-hole, logging 10 hits in 17 at-bats and accounting for 10 of the team's 33 runs over that stretch. She was also a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts, setting the table for her teammates. She had two or more hits in four of those six games, with one of the two exceptions a win over Point Park where she went 1-for-2 with two walks drawn and three stolen bases.
Western Division Pitcher of the Week
Taylor Bumgardner
IUP
Pitcher
Freshman
Centre Hall, Pa. / Penns Valley
Bumgardener had two wins this weekend, including a 9-0 shutout victory over Wheeling University. She struck out six batters and gave up just three hits in the shutout against Wheeling University. She also helped secure the win against Millersville striking out an additional six batters and giving up zero runs.