SPARTANBURG, S.C. – ETSU outfielder/designated hitter Tiffany Laughren and UNCG right-handed pitcher Alicia Bazonski have been named the Southern Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for games held May 1-7, the league announced Monday. Selections are made by the Southern Conference office.
Laughren achieved a blitersting.875 batting average and reached base in 11 of her 12 plate appearances to record an on-base percentage of .917 on seven hits and four walks last week. The sophomore also slugged for 1.500 in addition to reaching base safely in all nine of her plate appearances in Saturday's doubleheader at UNCG. Laughren went 1-for-1 and was walked three times in game one, tying an ETSU single-season record, while her four hits in game two tied her career-high. In game two on Saturday, she went 4-for-4 at the plate along with one walk in the Bucs' 9-7 win. The Erwin, Tennessee, native was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle in the Bucs' game two win as she doubled, homered and drove in three runs in the victory Saturday's win marked ETSU's first victory in Greensboro since March 16, 2002. Laughren also assisted in a double play in the game two win as she started a 7-4 double play. On Sunday, Laughren went 2-for-3 with a double and two scoring the Bucs' only two RBIs in ETSU's 7-2 loss.
Third-seeded ETSU (31-21, 10-7 SoCon) will take on Western Carolina (17-28, 6-11 SoCon) in the first round of the Southern Conference Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Wednesday at 3 p.m. (ET), which will air on the SoCon Digital Network. The Bucs and the Catamounts split their pair of regular-season games in a doubleheader on April 22. Game three of the series was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Bazonski went 2-0 in two starts over the weekend, helping UNCG collect two crucial wins against ETSU to help secure a share of the SoCon regular-season crown, marking the program's first-ever SoCon title. The Sheffield, Massachusetts, native surrendered just four ETSU runs, three of which were earned, to register an ERA of 1.50 after tossing complete games in games one and three of the Spartans' final series of the 2017 regular season. Bazonski also tallied six assists in her pair of starts over the weekend. The junior struck out three batters in game one and only walked one in the series finale.
The top-seeded Spartans (28-22, 11-6 SoCon) will receive a bye in the first round of the Southern Conference Championship bracket and will face the winner fourth-seeded Samford (22-34, 10-8 SoCon) and No. 5 Mercer (24-29, 9-9 SoCon) on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. (ET), which will air on the SoCon Digital Network. UNCG won their series against Samford, taking two out of three from the Bulldogs, while dropping two games in their regular-season series against the Bears.
Other nominees for player of the week: Carolina Taylor (Mercer), Alexis Overdiep (UNCG), Shelby Maze (Samford), Aly Walker (Chattanooga) and Madison Armstrong (Western Carolina).
Other nominees for pitcher of the week: Sharelene Godoy (ETSU), Stella Preston (Mercer), Jessica Stone (Samford), Celie Hudson (Chattanooga) and Kinsey Liscio (Western Carolina).
2017 Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 13 – Tiffany Laughren, ETSU, OF/DH
Feb. 20 – Jasmine Palmer, UNCG, UT
Feb. 27 – Megan Lane, Mercer, C
March 6 – Abby Walsh, Mercer, OF
March 13 – Emily Acquaviva, UNCG, OF
March 20 – Abby Sweeney, Samford, OF
March 27 – Emma Andrew, Mercer, SS
April 3 – Madison Armstrong, Western Carolina, C
April 10 – Hunter Gibbons, Western Carolina, OF
April 17 – Whitney Hinton, Samford, IF
April 24 – Abby Sweeney, Samford, C
May 1 – Rachael McClaskey, UNCG, SS
May 8 – Tiffany Laughren, ETSU, OF/DH
2017 Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 13 – Madison Ogle, ETSU
Feb. 20 – Lindsey Bert, Furman
Feb. 27 – Lindsey Bert, Furman
March 6 – Courtney Buchanan, Western Carolina
March 13 – Lindsey Bert, Furman
March 20 – Jessica Stone, Samford
March 27 – Stella Preston, Mercer
April 3 – Madison Ogle, ETSU
April 10 – Stella Preston, Mercer
April 17 – Lindsey Bert, Furman
April 24 – Lindsey Bert, Furman
May 1 – Anna O'Neill, Mercer
May 8 – Alicia Bazonski, UNCG
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