SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer’s Megan Lane and UNCG’s Stephanie Bryden have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for games played April 1-7, the conference office announced Monday. It is the first weekly award of the season for Lane while Bryden collects her fourth of the year and sixth in her career.
Lane hit .462 in four games last week, going 6-for-13 from the plate with six RBIs and four runs as Mercer went 4-0 on the week. She tallied at least one hit in each of the four contests and slugged at a 1.000 clip. In a midweek contest against Florida A&M, Lane was 1-for-3 with a run scored as the Bears won 5-4. The infielder started off the weekend series at ETSU with another 1-for-3 performance before going again 1-for-3 with a home run in the second game of the day. In Sunday’s finale, the native of Brooksville, Florida, was 3-for-4 from the plate with another home run and four RBIs in Mercer’s 5-2 win, capping off the conference sweep and moving the Bears into the top spot in the standings (5-1 SoCon).
Bryden went 3-0 on the week, throwing three complete games and recording an ERA of 0.39, allowing just one run in 18 innings pitched. She had a 0.667 WHIP and tallied 27 strikeouts, averaging 10.5 strikeouts per seven innings pitched. Against NC State in a midweek contest, Bryden went the distance, striking out 12 batters and giving up her only run of the week. She didn’t issue a walk in the 2-1 win. She totaled nine strikeouts, again not allowing a walk, and surrendered just one hit in a 9-0 win at Furman on April 6. In the series finale on Sunday, Bryden struck out seven in five innings pitched to earn her third win of the season and conference-best fifth in league play. In conference contests, she leads all players in innings pitched (37) and strikeouts (52).
Mercer (19-21) hosts Chattanooga this weekend, while UNCG (24-12, 7-2 SoCon) plays a doubleheader at Appalachian State on Wednesday, April 10, before returning home to host Western Carolina in a weekend tilt.
Others nominated for player of the week: Makenna Matthijs (UNCG), Merritt Cahoon (Samford) and Shaina Reed (Western Carolina).
Others nominated for pitcher of the week: Stella Preston (Mercer), Taylor DeCelles (Samford) and Shaina Reed (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
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
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