LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced its Softball Athletes of the Week. In the East, Kutztown's Emily Henn and Shippensburg's Caitlyn Martell earned Co-Athlete of the Week honors, while Shepherd's Madelayne Ruffner was recognized as Pitcher of the Week. In the West, the Slippery Rock duo of Maddie Cavenaugh (Athlete) and Slippery Rock's Rachel Baker (Pitcher) were selected.
Eastern Division Co-Athlete of the Week
Emily Henn
Kutztown
Outfield
Junior
Matamoras, Pa. / Delaware Valley
In eight games last week, Emily Henn batted .412 with 14 hits, including two 3-hit games and five multi-hit games. She added two RBIs and scored eight runs. Henn also had four doubles and a triple, collecting her 200th career hit this past Tuesday in a victory over West Chester. In two games at Lock Haven last Monday, Henn went 4-for-9 with a double and two runs scored. She followed that up a day later by going 4-for-9 in two games with the Golden Rams with a double and a triple, while scoring three runs. At Millersville this past Friday, she finished with two hits, including a double, and added an RBI. Saturday against No. 23 Shippensburg, Henn was 4-for-7 with another double, an RBI and two runs scored. Henn leads the PSAC with 48 hits, ranks second in doubles with 11 and is sixth in RBIs with 27.
Eastern Division Co-Athlete of the Week
Caitlyn Martell
Shippensburg
Shortstop
Senior
Morrisville, Pa. / Pennsbury
In a 4-4 week for the Raiders, Martell hit .414 (12-for-29) with a home run, two doubles, and five RBIs. She struck out just once and had a .586 slugging percentage. She had a hit in seven of the team's eight games this week, including a 4-4 performance in a Game 1 win at Millersville. She was 4-for-8 with three RBIs in a road Saturday sweep at Kutztown.
Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week
Madelayne Ruffner
Shepherd
Pitcher
Junior
Charles Town, W.Va. / Washington
In a dominant week, Ruffner went 3-0 with a save with 40 strikeouts, four hits, and just two walks in 19.0 innings for the Rams. She set a Shepherd single-game mark with 19 strikeouts against Millersville on Saturday. Ruffner also fired a no-hitter against the Marauders.
Western Division Athlete of the Week
Maddie Cavenaugh
Slippery Rock
Outfielder
Freshman
Bridgeville, Pa. / South Fayette
Cavenaugh led Slippery Rock to a 4-0 week after batting .647 (11-for-17) with four runs, six RBIs, two home runs, one double, and one stolen base. Cavenaugh had three or more hits in three of the four games this week with three hits in game two against Pitt-Johnstown and game one against Indiana (Pa.), while recording four hits in game two versus the Crimson Hawks. In game one against IUP, Cavenaugh hit a game-tying three-run home run with two outs in the seventh inning. During the second game of the doubleheader against IUP, Cavenaugh hit a walk-off two-run home run with two outs in the 11th inning.
Western Division Pitcher of the Week
Rachel Baker
Slippery Rock
Pitcher
Freshman
Canal Fulton, Ohio / Manchester
Baker went 2-0 in two starts in a 4-0 week for Slippery Rock. Baker pitched a total of 15 innings and surrendered six runs (four earned) for a 1.87 ERA on nine hits and five walks with 17 strikeouts. In a 6-3 win over Pitt-Johnstown, Baker threw seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts. That was Baker's second 10+ strikeout game of the season. In a 5-3 win over Indiana (Pa,) in eight innings, Baker pitched eight innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.