SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG’s Gabi Howard and Chattanooga’s Celie Hudson have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for games played April 22-28, the conference office announced Monday. It is the first weekly award of the season for Howard and the third overall and second consecutive for Hudson.
Howard went 4-for-6 (.667) at the plate as UNCG fell to North Carolina and swept conference foe Mercer on the road. The freshman had three RBIs, scored four runs and drew nine walks on the week. The Taylors, South Carolina, native had an on-base percentage of .867, a slugging percentage of 1.667 and had a perfect fielding percentage in the span. Despite being held hitless against North Carolina, who is receiving votes in the latest polls, Howard drew two walks and came around to score a run. In the series opener at Mercer on Saturday afternoon, she was 2-for-2, drawing two walks and adding two RBIs and one run scored. A two-run home run by Howard in the fourth inning broken open a scoreless game and put UNCG on the board en route to the 7-1 win. Later that afternoon, Howard was 1-for-2 with another home run, RBI and run scored, again drawing two walks in the Spartans’ 7-4 victory. She concluded the series with a 1-for-1 day, drawing three walks in the series finale, an 8-4 win. Howard is hitting a league-high .424 in conference play, and her .588 on-base percentage is also a league best.
Hudson, a junior, repeats as pitcher of the week after throwing two complete-game victories in the Mocs’ series at ETSU. She threw six innings in the 9-0 win in the series opener, allowing six hits but not surrendering a run. She struck out one and walked just one batter in the victory. Despite giving up 10 hits in the series finale the next day, the native of Paris, Tennessee, gave up only one multi-base hit and allowed just one earned run in seven innings pitched. She struck out five in the 8-1 win. ETSU’s RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning broke up Hudson’s scoreless inning streak, which was at 30 innings. Hudson holds a 1.19 ERA in conference play, a league best.
UNCG (28-19, 10-4 SoCon) hosts Winthrop on Wednesday, May 1, before welcoming ETSU (19-23-2, 5-9) to Greensboro, North Carolina, for the final three-games series of the season. Chattanooga (31-13, 9-6) hosts Samford (28-19, 10-4) to conclude regular season play.
Others nominated for player of the week: Kelly Warren (ETSU), Lauren Duggar (Furman), Danielle Castleberry (Mercer), Aly Walker (Chattanooga) and Hunter Gibbons (Western Carolina).
Others nominated for pitcher of the week: Stephanie Bryden (UNCG) 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
April 1 – Hannah Trombley, DP, Sr., Samford
April 8 – Megan Lane, INF, Sr., Mercer
April 15 – Whitney Hinton, 2B, Jr., Samford
April 22 – Kenlie Harvey, INF, Fr., Mercer
April 29 – Gabi Howard, INF, Fr. UNCG
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
April 1 – Stephanie Bryden, Sr., UNCG
April 8 – Stephanie Bryden, Sr., UNCG
April 15 – Bailey Pattison, Fr., Mercer
April 22 - Celie Hudson, Jr., Chattanooga
April 29 - Celie Hudson, Jr., Chattanooga
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