SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG’s Nicole Thomas and Furman’s Lindsey Bert have been named the Southern Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, the league announced Monday. The selections are made by the Southern Conference office.
Thomas hit .500 last week, going 11-for-22 over seven games played for UNCG. The junior had a hit in all seven games, including four multi-hit games, while recording five runs, 10 RBIs, four doubles, two home runs and three walks.
Thomas started the week with a 2-for-5 performance against North Carolina A&T before going 1-for-4 against Ohio on Wednesday with a homer, two runs and three RBIs. She went 3-for-5 with two RBIs over two games on Friday and followed with another 3-for-5 day with a homer, a double, three runs and four RBIs over two games on Saturday. She finished the week with a 2-for-3 effort with two doubles against UC Riverside on Sunday.
Bert pitched a no-hitter against Winthrop on Saturday and combined to 3-0 last week with a 0.33 ERA for the Paladins. The freshman pitched a total of 21.0 innings over three starts, allowing just one earned run on eight hits with 24 strikeouts against five walks.
Bert started the week with a four-hit shutout against Charlotte on Wednesday with 10 strikeouts and two walks, as Furman won 1-0. She then completed her first career no-hitter on Saturday with six strikeouts and one walk with the Paladins topping the Eagles 3-0. The Tallahassee, Fla. native capped off the week by pitching Furman to a 4-2 win over Albany on Sunday with 7.0 innings pitched in which she allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks against eight strikeouts.
Also nominated for Player of the Week: Nicole Fox (ETSU), Riley Carter (Mercer), Nicole Osterman (Chattanooga), Courtney Price (Western Carolina)
Also nominated for Pitcher of the Week: Taylor Carter (ETSU), Kirsten Stevens (Mercer), Cori Jennings (Chattanooga), Jordan Garrett (Western Carolina)
2015 Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 9 – Natalie Shiver, Mercer
Feb. 16 – Caitlin Bice, Samford
Feb. 23 – Nicole Osterman, Chattanooga
Mar. 2 – Sieara Bishop, Furman
Mar. 9 – Nicole Thomas, UNCG
2015 Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 9 – Mollie Hanson, Samford
Feb. 16 – Jordan Garrett, Western Carolina
Feb. 23 – Cori Jennings, Chattanooga
Mar. 2 – Kirsten Stevens, Mercer
Mar. 9 – Lindsey Bert, Furman