Providence’s Alvarez, Villanova’s DaCosta Garner #BIGEASTsb Weekly Accolades
NEW YORK – Two underclassmen have been recognized as the BIG EAST Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week. Villanova sophomore infielder Julia DaCosta was named Player of the Week, while Providence newcomer Daniela Alvarez took home Pitcher of the Week honors. The Wildcats went 4-2 over the past week, and the Friars secured a 5-1 record over the same span. These are the first awards for each athlete this season.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Julia DaCosta, Villanova, So., INF (North Attleboro, Mass.)
DaCosta led the league in batting average at .588 as Villanova defeated Saint Francis, Holy Cross, Eastern Illinois and Massachusetts. Their lone loss came at the hands of No. 23 Wisconsin. The sophomore also topped the BIG EAST in slugging percentage (1.235), on base percentage (.650), hits (10), RBI (9) and home runs (3). DaCosta hit a three-run walk off homer against Holy Cross as she went 4-for-4 against the Crusaders, while adding a double and collecting five RBI. She recorded a hit in each of the last six games for the Wildcats.
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
Daniela Alvarez, Providence, Fr., P (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Alvarez was dominant on the mound for the Friars as she went 3-0 and held a 0.32 ERA in her starts over the weekend. She now has the lowest overall ERA in the league at 1.35. In three complete games, she was victorious against Central Michigan, Saint Francis and Saint Joseph’s. Providence also beat Army and dropped their only game to South Dakota State. In 22 innings of work in the circle, Alvarez allowed only one earned run while striking out 21 batters.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Karli Ricketts, Butler, Fr., P/INF (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Ricketts went 1-0 in two starts for the Bulldogs. Her win was an 11-0 no-hitter against Green Bay in which she only allowed one walk in five innings, along with five strikeouts. Ricketts also went 2-for-3 at the plate against UIC as she connected on a home run to help Butler win 3-2.
Gabby O’Riley, DePaul, Fr., C/3B (Mooresville, Ind.)
O’Riley helped the Blue Demons go 2-1 over the weekend with wins over IUPUI and Belmont. She went 2-for-3 in a close 5-4 defeat against host Memphis where she recorded a double and drove in a run. She also scored another run versus IUPUI in an 11-8 win for DePaul.
Emma Lee, Providence, Sr., OF (Orange, Calif.)
Lee safely reached a base in four victories for the Friars where she had six hits and scored three runs, while averaging .400. In a win against Furman, she also hit a double and recorded a stolen base in a victory versus Army.
Peyton Cody, St. John’s, Fr., C (Mission Viejo, Calif.)
Cody led the Red Storm offense with a league second-best nine hits in six games over the past week. Her batting average of .474 was third in the conference over that span. She was tied for second in the BIG EAST with six RBI. Cody also had a stolen base in a 10-8 triumph against South Carolina-Upstate.
Destini Peck, Seton Hall, Sr., C (Riverside, Calif.)
Peck averaged a conference second-best .500 hitting and collected six total hits in four games for the Pirates. Against Central Connecticut State, she went 2-for-3 and scored two runs. She also recorded a pair of doubles in their final two games of the weekend.
Paige Rauch, Villanova, So., P/INF (Windsor, N.Y.)
Rauch had an ERA of 1.29 and went 2-1 in three starts for the Wildcats, along with a .467 batting average in six games. She accounted for seven hits, including two triples against Holy Cross. In the circle, Rauch allowed just four earned runs all coming against a ranked opponent in No. 23 Wisconsin. She struck out 18 batters in 21.2 innings, including eight versus Massachusetts.