SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer’s Natalie Shiver 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.
Shiver batted .444 (4-of-9) with three home runs, four runs and four RBIs in Mercer’s series win over Chattanooga last weekend. The junior catcher had multi-hit games in both Mercer wins in the series and recorded 13 total bases and 1.444 slugging percentage in the series.
Shiver opened the series with a bang, hitting a walk-off, two-run homer in game one to give Mercer the 5-4 victory. She then hit two more round-trippers in the series finale in her only official at-bats in the game.
The Leesburg, Ga. native upped her season home run total to nine with the three on Sunday. She takes the weekly Player of the Week honor for the second in the Bears’ first season in the SoCon.
Bert did not allow a earned run in 15.1 innings pitched last weekend, as Furman earned a three-game sweep of Western Carolina. The rookie pitcher compiled a 2-0 record in three appearances (two starts), allowing just one unearned run on 10 hits with 14 strikeouts against four walks.
Bert opened the series with a two-hit shutout in game one of Friday’s doubleheader, a 3-0 Furman victory. She then entered game two of the doubleheader in relief, tossing 1.1 innings and allowing one run on three hits to earn the save in an 8-6 victory. Bert then tossed a five-hit shutout in the series finale with eight strikeouts against just one walk, leading Furman to the 1-0 victory.
The native of Tallahassee, Fla. earns the weekly honor for the second time this season.
Also nominated for Player of the Week: Lindsay Thomas (UNCG), Kailey Palazzolo (Chattanooga)
Also nominated for Pitcher of the Week: Kirsten Stevens (Mercer), Nicole Thomas (UNCG), Taylor Deason (Chattanooga)
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
Mar. 16 – Riley Carter, Mercer
Mar. 23 – Courtney Price, Western Carolina
Mar. 30 – Nicole Osterman, Chattanooga
Apr. 6 – Callie Brister, Samford
Apr. 13 – Sarah Beth Roberts, Chattanooga
Apr. 20 – Elise Smith, Furman
Apr. 27 – Natalie Shiver, Mercer
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
Mar. 16 – Kirsten Stevens, Mercer
Mar. 23 – Cori Jennings, Chattanooga
Mar. 30 – Kirsten Stevens, Mercer
Apr. 6 – Jordan Garrett, Western Carolina
Apr. 13 – Jordan Garrett, Western Carolina
Apr. 20 – Kirsten Stevens, Mercer
Apr. 27 – Lindsey Bert, Furman