SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman second baseman Hannah Poole and Samford right-hander McKenzie Newcomb have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for games from March 20-26. The awards are selected by the league office.
Furman’s Poole batted .500 and slugged 1.600 over four games last week as the Paladins went 3-1 including a three-game sweep of Western Carolina in their first SoCon series. After going hitless in one at-bat at South Carolina on Wednesday, Poole went 2-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs, a stolen base and a run scored in Furman’s 7-4 win in game one of its doubleheader with Western Carolina on Saturday. In game two, the Nicholson, Georgia, native went 1-for-3 as she crushed a two-run shot to right center in the first inning of the Paladins’ 7-1 victory. In the series finale on Sunday, Poole homered in her first two at-bats – a three-run shot in the first and a two-run homer in the third. Furman won the series’ final game by a score of 9-1 in five innings.
Furman (10-18, 3-0 SoCon) hosts USC Upstate for a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 29, before going to ETSU (7-21, 0-3) for a weekend series beginning on Saturday, April 1.
Samford’s Newcomb had two appearances with one start last week, going 2-0 with a 0.72 ERA. The Meridianville, Alabama, native threw a complete game in a 3-1 win over Mercer on Saturday, striking out six batters and surrendering five hits. The next day, Newcomb came into the game in the top of the fifth with the Bulldogs trailing the Bears 6-4. The sophomore shut the Mercer attack down for the rest of the game, throwing 2 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and zero runs allowed as Samford was victorious, 7-6, to complete its weekend sweep of the Bears.
Samford (14-18, 3-0) welcomes SEC foe Auburn for a midweek game on Wednesday, March 29, before heading to Western Carolina (9-15, 0-3) for its second SoCon series beginning on Saturday, April 1.
Other nominees for player of the week: Brooklynn Maxwell (UNCG), Logan Champion (Samford), Kaili Phillips (Chattanooga) and Natalie Henry (Western Carolina)
Other nominees for pitcher of the week: Sierra Tufts (Furman), Peja Goold (Chattanooga) and Maddie Spell (UNCG)
2023 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 13 Delaney Cumbie, 5th, C, UNCG
Feb. 20 Riley Ludlam, Sr., C, Furman
Feb. 27 Sara Muir, So., P/1B, ETSU
March 6 Delaney Cumbie, 5th, C, UNCG
March 13 Brooklynn Brewington, Sr., OF, Western Carolina
March 20 Kaili Phillips, Jr., INF, Chattanooga
March 27 Hannah Poole, Jr., 2B, Furman
2023 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 13 Tessa Juett, So., Western Carolina
Feb. 20 Maddie Spell, R-So., UNCG
Feb. 27 McKenzie Newcomb, So., Samford
March 6 Alyssa Lavdis, So., Chattanooga
March 13 Peja Goold, Fr., Chattanooga
March 20 Rhyann Jones, Fr., UNCG
March 27 McKenzie Newcomb, So., Samford