The Southern Conference named Elon’s Debbie Zeigler its softball Player of the Week, while Appalachian State’s Kayla Richardson was named the league’s Pitcher of the Week for the week ending March 7.
A sophomore, Zeigler ended the Phoenix’s 3-3 week with a cummulative slugging percentage of .760 and an on-base percentage of .520. The catcher/third baseman hit .520 in the six contests, collecting 13 hits in 25 at-bats, including garnering perfect 4-for-4 performances in games against Campbell and Maryland-Eastern Shore. In total, Zeigler accumulated 11 RBIs on the week.
The Newton, PA, native acquired four extra-base knocks in the games, including one home run and three doubles. Zeigler was proficient from the diamond as well, notching 19 putouts and two assists, with no errors picked up in the six games.
A freshman, Richardson went 2-0 at the Phoenix Classic last week and was the winning pitcher in the championship game victory for the Mountaineers over North Carolina A&T that gave Appalachian State its second tournament title ever and its fifth straight win, the longest in program history. Richardson threw a one-hitter in the championship game, facing just one batter over the minimum (22) in seven innings.
Richardson struck out eight batters in the victory and allowed just one run on four hits in the Mountaineers’ win over James Madison.
Others considered for the Player of the Week award included Appalachian State's Lindsey Glover (10-for-16 at the Phoenix Classic, with nine RBIs and four doubles), Chattanooga’s Tara Tembey (.400 batting average and five RBIs in eight games), Furman’s Amber Nelsen (.418 batting average and 12 RBIs, including five extra-base hits in nine games), Georgia Southern’s Gina Sterchi (.500 batting average, 10 RBIs in 3-for-3 week) and Western Carolina’s Ashley Adams (.571 batting average and four home runs in six games).
Those who received consideration for Pitcher of the Week included Chattanooga’s JayCee Wood (1.04 ERA in 3-1 week), Elon’s Carol Lilley (1.17 ERA in 1-1 week) and Furman’s Vanessa Williams (2.02 ERA in 3-1 week, which included a victory over Big East foe Rutgers).