SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Western Carolina first baseman Myra Twitty and Samford right-handed pitcher Jordyn Partain have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for games from April 11-17. The awards are selected by the league office.
 
Twitty hit .500, slugged 1.625 and had an on-base percentage of .667 on the week, going 4-for-8 with four walks, three home runs, six RBIs and four runs scored. The senior from Morganton, North Carolina, opened her week with a 1-for-2 effort in the Catamounts’ 9-1 setback to No. 15 Tennessee on Wednesday before going off for three homers in as many games as Western Carolina won a league series from Mercer. Twitty hit solo shots and drew walks in both ends of Friday’s doubleheader, which the teams split, then drew two walks and hit a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the fifth in Saturday's series-clinching 5-3 win.
 
Partain went 1-1 with a 0.53 ERA against Furman last week. The freshman from Macon, Georgia, pitched a one-hit shutout in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader, striking out four without issuing a walk over 7 innings in the Bulldogs’ 8-0 win. Partain was then the tough-luck loser in Saturday’s 1-0 loss, surrendering just the single run and allowing five hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings. She struck out three on the afternoon to run her total to seven for the week.
 
Western Carolina (17-25, 4-8 SoCon) hosts Presbyterian for a doubleheader Tuesday before visiting Furman (15-24, 3-6) for a three-game SoCon set this weekend. Samford (23-15, 8-1) hosts Chattanooga (21-18, 5-4) for a three-game conference series this weekend.
 
Other nominees for player of the week: Riley Ludlam (Furman), Jordan Gontram (UNCG) and Mary Katherine Tedder (Samford).
 
Other nominees for pitcher of the week: Sierra Tufts (Furman), Morgan Scott (UNCG) and Savannah Rice (Western Carolina).
 
2022 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 14                   Timberlyn Shurbutt, Sr., 3B, Samford
Feb. 21                   Jordan Gontram, Gr., DP, UNCG
Feb. 28                   Blayke Batten, Jr., 1B/RF, UNCG
March 7                  Delaney Cumbie, Sr., C, UNCG
March 14                Mary Katherine Tedder, Gr., UT, Samford
March 21                Grace Loftin, Fr., LF, UNCG
March 28                Maycin Brown, Jr., 3B, UNCG
April 4                     Reagan Armour, So., DP, Chattanooga
April 11                   Mary Katherine Tedder, Gr., UT, Samford
April 18                   Myra Twitty, Sr., 1B, Western Carolina
 
2022 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 14                   Jayme Eilers, Jr., Western Carolina
Feb. 21                   Brooke Parrott, Jr., Chattanooga
Feb. 28                   Jordan Walters, So., Samford
March 7                  Sierra Tufts, So., Furman
March 14                Morgan Scott, Jr., UNCG
March 21                Hannah Wood, Jr., Chattanooga
March 28                Morgan Scott, Jr., UNCG
April 4                     Morgan Scott, Jr., UNCG
April 11                   McKenzie Newcomb, Fr., Samford
April 18                   Jordyn Partain, Fr., Samford