SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman’s Lindsey Bert has been named Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week for games played April 2-8, the conference office announced Monday. Bert is the fifth student-athlete in SoCon history to earn both awards in the same week and the first to do so since 2001 when both UNCG’s Amber Watson and Chattanooga’s Talya Trudell accomplished the feat. Bert is the second Paladin to earn both awards after Amy Jakubowski did so in 1995.
Offensively, the senior batted .538 for the week, totaling eight RBIs, seven hits, including three home runs, and four runs scored. Bert recorded three multi-hit games and finished with a 1.231 slugging percentage as she helped lead Furman to a 5-0 record and picked up its first conference wins of the season. After going 1-for-3 in a 6-0 win over Winthrop in game one of a doubleheader, Bert belted two home runs and drove in four to propel the Paladins to an 8-3 victory. Over the weekend, Bert went 2-for-3 with a walk-off grand slam in Furman’s 11-2, five-inning game two win over ETSU. The Tallahassee, Florida, native capped the week with a 2-for-2 effort and a pair of walks on April 8 as the Paladins completed the series sweep. This is the first player of the week award of her career.
In the circle, Bert posted a 3-0 record with a save and a 0.84 earned run average in four appearances. Bert started the week by fanning 12 batters in a complete-game, one-hit shutout of Winthrop in game one of the doubleheader on April 3 before tossing three hitless innings of relief to earn the save in the nightcap as the Paladins secured the 6-0, 8-3 sweep. In the first game against ETSU, the lefty matched a career high with 15 strikeouts, including her school-record 768th career strikeout, to lead Furman to a 3-2 victory over ETSU. In the series finale, Bert allowed just one run on three hits over eight innings while fanning nine batters to capture her third win of the weekend. Bert struck out 42 batters, walked six and scattered 10 hits over 25 innings of work. This is the ninth weekly award of her career and second for the 2018 campaign.
Others nominated for player of the week: Megan Lane (Mercer), Ashley Conner (Chattanooga) and Hunter Gibbons (Western Carolina).
Others nominated for pitcher of the week: Stella Preston (Mercer), Stephanie Bryden (UNCG) and Allison Swinford (Chattanooga).
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
March 5 – Shelby Maze, OF, Sr., Samford
March 12 – Candace Johnson, OF, RSr., Furman
March 19 – Makenna Matthijs, OF, Fr., UNCG
March 26 – Makenna Matthijs, OF, Fr., UNCG
April 2 – Shelby Maze, OF, Sr., Samford
April 9 – Lindsey Bert, DP, Sr., Furman
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
March 5 – Jill McElderry, Sr., Mercer
March 12 – Stephanie Bryden, Jr., UNCG
March 19 – Madison Ogle, Sr., ETSU
March 26 – Alicia Bazonski, Sr., UNCG
April 2 – Stephanie Bryden, Jr., UNCG
April 9 – Lindsey Bert, Sr., Furman