SPARTANBURG, S.C. – ETSU’s Kasidy Dunn and Furman’s Emily DeMonte have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for games played March 18-24, the conference office announced Monday. It is the first weekly award for Dunn, while DeMonte collects her second of the season and fourth of her career.
Dunn, who entered the weekend without a collegiate hit to her name, went 4-for-6 at the plate (.667 percent) with four hits, five RBIs and a run scored as ETSU swept Western Carolina in Cullowhee, North Carolina, to open conference play. The freshman entered the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader in the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, the Bucs rallied from three runs down to tie the game at 5. Dunn came to the plate and hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence, earning her first career hit in dramatic fashion as ETSU held on for the 7-5 victory. Dunn, a native of Friendsville, Tennessee, earned the start in the second game of the day and went 2-for-3 from the plate with a pair of RBI singles en route to 11-9 win. On Sunday in the series finale, Dunn was 1-for-2 at the plate, hitting in the game-winning run with an RBI double in the fifth inning. She finished the weekend with a .750 on-base percentage and a 1.333 slugging percentage.
DeMonte allowed just two earned runs and nine hits in 18 innings pitched and finished with a 0.78 ERA in three appearances. The native of Sumter, South Carolina, tossed three hitless inning and struck out five in an 11-2 midweek win against Binghamton. DeMonte suffered a loss in the next contest against Chattanooga, despite throwing eight innings and allowing just two earned runs on six hits. She rebounded for a win on Sunday, allowing just three hits and tallying two strikeouts in a 2-0 complete-game shutout. DeMonte leads the conference in innings pitched (113), appearances (22) and starts (19).
ETSU (16-11-2, 3-0 SoCon) hosts Appalachian State on Wednesday, March 27, while Furman (9-20, 1-2 SoCon) plays a three-game series at Samford beginning Saturday, March 30.
Others nominated for player of the week: Mackense Greico (Furman), Danielle Castleberry (Mercer), Marisa Sholtes (UNCG), Merritt Cahoon (Samford) and Hunter Gibbons (Western Carolina).
Others nominated for pitcher of the week: Taylor Boling (ETSU), Stephanie Bryden (UNCG), Annalyn Yantis (Samford) and Kinsey Liscio (Western Carolina).
2019 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 11 – Aly Walker, OF/DP, Jr., Chattanooga
Feb. 18 – Amanda Beltran, C., Sr., Chattanooga
Feb. 25 – Nikki Grupp, 3B, Jr., ETSU
March 4 – Marissa Guimbarda, DP/1B, So., Furman
March 11 – Emma Sturdivant, 1B, Sr., Chattanooga
March 18 – Emily Coltharp, SS, Fr., Chattanooga
March 25 – Kasidy Dunn, INF, Fr., ETSU
2019 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 11 – Celie Hudson, Jr., Chattanooga
Feb. 18 – Kelly Schmidt, Jr., ETSU
Feb. 25 – Stephanie Bryden, Sr., UNCG
March 4 – Emily DeMonte, Sr., Furman
March 11 – Mariah Ramirez, Fr., Chattanooga
March 18 – Stephanie Bryden, Sr., UNCG
March 25 – Emily DeMonte, Sr., Furman
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