SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Mercer’s Allie Jones and Chattanooga’s Allison Swinford have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for games played March 2-8, the conference office announced Monday.
 
Jones hit .467 with seven hits, four RBIs and five runs scored as the Bears played five games as part of the Mizuno Classic, held in Norman, Oklahoma, and Stillwater, Oklahoma, from March 6-8. The junior center fielder began the week going 2-for-4 with a triple and stolen base in the tournament opener against Utah, a team receiving votes in the latest NFCA poll, on March 6. Later that afternoon, she went 1-for-3 with an RBI, run scored and stolen base against No. 6 Oklahoma. The Bears and Sooners were tied at 5 in the sixth inning before Oklahoma pulled out the 10-5 win. The next day, she was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI against Utah before scoring a run against No. 11 Oklahoma State later that evening. The native of Calhoun, Georgia, concluded the tournament going 2-for-3 at the plate, adding another pair of RBIs and run scored in a 5-3 win over Murray State.
 
Swinford, a junior, dazzled in the circle over the weekend as Chattanooga took part in the Clearwater Tournament in Clearwater, Florida. The Dalton, Georgia, native pitched 16 1/3 innings and recorded a 0.86 ERA on the week. The right-hander allowed just two earned runs and nine hits, eight of which were singles, while striking out 14 and limiting hitters to a .153 batting average. Swinford pitched a complete game in a 3-1 win over Western Michigan on March 6, allowing just three hits and an unearned run in the victory. She pitched four innings against Yale the following day, surrendering five hits and two earned runs but striking out four before exiting the game. In Sunday’s finale against Florida A&M, Swinford allowed just one hit in 5 1/3 innings of work. She struck out a career-high eight batters in her relief appearance.
 
Others nominated for player of the week: Kylie Toler (ETSU), Natalie Morgan (Furman), MaKenna Matthijs (UNCG), Whitney Hinton (Samford), Emily Coltharp (Chattanooga) and Erica Hayes (Western Carolina).
 
Others nominated for pitcher of the week: Kelly Schmidt (ETSU), Morgan Smith (Furman) and Amber Byrd (Mercer).
 
2020 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 10 – O’Neil Roberson, 1B, Jr., Samford
Feb. 17 – Delaney Cumbie, C, So., UNCG
Feb. 24 – Whitney Hinton, 2B, Sr., Samford
March 2 – Kylie Toler, C, Sr., ETSU
March 9 – Allie Jones, CF, Jr., Mercer
 
 2020 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 10 – Celie Hudson, Sr., Chattanooga
Feb. 17 – Savannah Rice, Fr., Western Carolina
Feb. 24 – Kelly Schmidt, Sr., ETSU
March 2 – Morgan Scott, Fr., UNCG
March 9 – Allison Swinford, Jr., Chattanooga