SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman first baseman Emily Bartlett and Samford right-handed pitcher McKenzie Newcomb have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for games from April 18-24. The awards are selected by the league office.
 
Bartlett hit .417 and posted a .563 on-base percentage as Furman went 3-2 last week with a conference sweep of Western Carolina. The senior from Camarillo, California, reached base in both games of a doubleheader at South Carolina on Wednesday, April 20, drawing walks in both contests and hitting a two-run single in the top of the seventh in game one, helping tie the game at 5 before the Gamecocks walked off in the bottom half. After being kept off the bases in game one of Saturday's doubleheader against Western Carolina, Bartlett reached base three times each in the next two as Furman won its first league series of the season. She had a walk, a single and a two-run home run in game two of the doubleheader before capping the week with a two-run single, an RBI bunt single and a stolen base, sandwiched around her fourth walk of the week, in Sunday’s 6-3 win. For the week, she totaled seven RBIs and a .667 slugging percentage.
 
Newcomb picked up Samford’s third straight weekly pitching honor and her second in three weeks after going 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA in the Bulldogs’ series sweep of Chattanooga over the weekend. The freshman from Meridianville, Alabama, pitched a five-hit shutout Saturday, striking out five and allowing just one walk in the 3-0 win. Newcomb followed that up with another complete game Sunday, allowing just one earned run on eight hits and no walks, striking out four, in a 4-1 win that secured Samford’s third SoCon sweep of the season. Newcomb moved to 18-7 on the year with a league-best 1.52 ERA.
 
Furman (18-26, 6-6 SoCon) visits No. 19 Georgia on Wednesday and heads to Greensboro, North Carolina, for a three-game series against league-leading UNCG (33-13, 12-0) starting Saturday. Samford (26-15, 11-1) hosts North Alabama on Wednesday before visiting ETSU (6-41, 2-10) for a three-game SoCon set starting Saturday.
 
Other nominees for player of the week: Diamond Williams (Mercer), Delaney Cumbie (UNCG) and Merritt Cahoon (Samford).
 
Other nominees for pitcher of the week: Sierra Tufts (Furman), Bailey Pattison (Mercer) and Alex Rodriguez (UNCG).
 
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
April 25                   Emily Bartlett, Sr., 1B, Furman
 
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
April 25                   McKenzie Newcomb, Fr., Samford