SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer’s Caroline Taylor and Furman’s Lindsey Bert have been named Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for games played Feb. 19-25, the conference office announced Monday. This is the first weekly award for Taylor and eighth of Bert’s career.
Taylor had a stellar week at the plate, tallying 11 RBIs, seven hits, four runs and four home runs as the Bears finished the week 6-0 to improve their overall record to 12-2. Taylor got things started in the second game of the doubleheader at Florida A&M, finishing 3-for-4 with seven RBIs and two home runs, matching her career high for home runs in a single game. The seven RBIs also marked a new career best for Taylor. Following that performance, Taylor reeled off hits in four consecutive games as Mercer downed Drexel, Akron, Radford and Eastern Kentucky. In the win over Akron, the redshirt senior belted her third home run of the week and plated two. The Alma, Georgia, native’s fourth and final homer of the week came in a 5-1 win over Eastern Kentucky. Taylor finished the six games with a .389 batting average, a 1.056 slugging percentage and collected 19 total bases in just 18 plate appearances. Defensively, the first baseman recorded 27 putouts.
Bert posted a 4-0 record and a 1.17 ERA in four starts this past week to help Furman to a 6-0 record and a 12-3 overall mark. The left-hander fanned seven in a complete-game victory at Presbyterian on Feb. 21 before striking out 10 and allowing just one run in a 3-1 triumph over Marshall on Friday. Bert came back on Saturday versus Marshall to toss a complete-game, three-hit shutout and capped the weekend by tossing nine innings and allowing just one run in a 2-1, extra inning win over Winthrop. For the week, the Tallahassee, Florida, native allowed just five runs in 30 innings and fanned 25 batters while improving her record this season to 6-2. Offensively, the senior hit .318 with five doubles and four RBI.
Others nominated for player of the week: Caroline Cash (Furman), Gabi Cubbage (UNCG), Hannah Trombley (Samford), Hayleigh Weissenbach (Chattanooga) and Ashlyn Long (Western Carolina).
Others nominated for pitcher of the week: Megan Bilgri (Mercer), Stephanie Bryden (UNCG), Taylor DeCelles (Samford), Allison Swinford (Chattanooga) and Kinsey Liscio (Western Carolina).
2018 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 12 – Marisa Sholtes, 1B, RJr., UNCG
Feb. 19 – Makenna Matthijs, OF, Fr., UNCG
Feb. 26 – Caroline Taylor, 1B, RSr., Mercer
2018 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 12 – Emily Demonte, Jr., Furman
Feb. 19 – Emily Demonte, Jr., Furman
Feb. 26 – Lindsey Bert, Sr., Furman