The Southern Conference named Western Carolina’s Savannah Filley its softball Player of the Week, while Georgia Southern’s Logan Free was named the league’s Pitcher of the Week for the week ending March 26. Filley becomes the third Western Carolina player to be named Player of the Week this season, while Free’s honor marks the second time this campaign that a GSU pitcher has been tabbed Pitcher of the Week.
A sophomore, Filley spent the majority of the series as a designated player in the Catamounts’ three-game sweep of Furman, scoring three runs and finishing the series with a slugging percentage of 1.200. Filley also saw action from the pitcher’s mound in the three-game set, tossing four innings of relief work in the 4-1 series finale victory and earning the win.
The Crossville, TN, native hit .600 (6-for-10) in the Catamounts’ first-ever league sweep. She secured four RBIs and tallied two home runs, including a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth in the second game of the series with the Paladins to give the Catamounts’ a 10-8 victory.
Free allowed just one earned run in 19.1 innings from the hill last week. The junior had a 0.36 ERA in her three contests and went 2-0.
A native of Sandpoint, ID, Free tossed a complete game one-hitter in the second game of a twinbill victory against Charleston Southern for the Eagles and then followed that up by allowing just three hits and one run in a 3-1 win over Appalachian State in the second game of their three game series. Free commandeered 24 strikeouts on the week.
Others considered for the Player of the Week award included Appalachian State’s Kasey Motsinger (.571 batting average with two runs, a double and a home run in a 2-1 series victory over Georgia Southern), College of Charleston’s Jayme Durand (.444 batting average with 3 RBIs in three-game sweep of Chattanooga) Elon's Tracey Dahlen (.500 batting average, including 4-for-4 batting performance against Jacksonville, in 4-1 week) and Georgia Southern’s Sam Steiner (.538 batting average with 3 RBIs in 3-2 week for GSU).
Those who received consideration for Pitcher of the Week included Appalachian State’s Keri Blackwelder (0.88 ERA and picked up both of ASU’s wins in Georgia Southern series) Elon's Carol Lilley (2-0 week with wins over UNCG and Jacksonville) and Western Carolina’s Mendy McKenzie (2-0 record with ERA of 0.47 in 15.0 IP in Furman series).