SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG catcher Delaney Cumbie and Western Carolina left-hander Tessa Juett have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for their efforts over the first weekend of the season. The awards are selected by the league office.
 
UNCG’s Cumbie hit .562 to help the Spartans to a 3-2 start to the season at the FGCU Kickoff Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. The Dunn, North Carolina, native opened the season going 1-for-3 with an RBI as the Spartans defeated LIU, 6-2, on Friday. Later that day, Cumbie went 1-for-3 again and scored two runs as UNCG shut out Binghamton, 8-0, in five innings. On Saturday, Cumbie was 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in UNCG’s 4-3 setback versus Florida Gulf Coast. The fifth-year catcher followed that performance with one hit and two walks against Southern Illinois as the Spartans fell 9-6 in that contest. In the weekend finale on Sunday, Cumbie went 3-for-4, including a home run and two doubles, as UNCG defeated Binghamton, 10-1, in five innings.
 
Western Carolina’s Juett won her lone start of the weekend with eight strikeouts against just one walk, allowing two hits and zero runs in the Stinger Classic in Montgomery, Alabama. The sophomore from Berea, Kentucky, pitched a complete game in the Catamounts’ 1-0 extra-inning win over Tennessee Tech. The contest went into the eighth inning scoreless with Tennessee Tech batting first. The Golden Eagles had a runner on third with one out before Juett struck out the next two batters to end the top half of the frame. Bailey Huneycutt hit an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to give Western Carolina the win.


UNCG (3-2) hosts Virginia on Thursday before welcoming Morehead State and UNCW in the Spiro Classic on Saturday and Sunday. Western Carolina (2-0) travels to Presbyterian for a doubleheader on Wednesday before going to the Panther Invitational in Atlanta, Georgia, to take on Northern Illinois, Tennessee State and host Georgia State from Friday to Sunday.
 
Other nominees for player of the week: Sara Muir (ETSU), Kiley Perry (Furman), Logan Champion (Samford), Kendall Forsythe (Chattanooga) and Bailey Huneycutt (Western Carolina).
 
Other nominees for pitcher of the week: Brianna Bailey (ETSU), Sierra Tufts (Furman), Katie Rearley (Mercer), Rhyann Jones (UNCG), McKenzie Newcomb (Samford) and Brooke Parrott (Chattanooga).
 
2023 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 13                                   Delaney Cumbie, 5th, C, UNCG

2023 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 13                                   Tessa Juett, So., Western Carolina