NEW YORK – Georgetown senior Sarah Bennett was honored as the BIG EAST Softball Player of the Week for the first time this season, while St. John’s senior Madison Morris takes home her second Pitcher of the Week nod. The Hoyas took two at home from the preseason favorite, Creighton, while Morris earned the two victories for the Red Storm at home against Providence.
Each BIG EAST softball team picked up a win during the first weekend of conference play. DePaul came away victorious in two games on the road at Butler, while Seton Hall won two of three for the series win against Villanova.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Sarah Bennett, Georgetown, Sr., C/1B (Owings, Md.)
Bennett took advantage of her opportunities against Creighton as the designated hitter. In four official at-bats, Bennett connected on three home runs. Her three long balls tied for the most in the league over the weekend. She reached a base in eight out of nine plate appearances. Her batting average of .750 was tied for the best in the BIG EAST, while her slugging percentage (3.000) and on-base percentage (.889) topped the conference. She also tallied four RBI and scored three runs for the Hoyas.
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
Madison Morris, St. John’s, Sr., P (Hampton, Va.)
Morris went 2-0 in her starts, while collecting a conference-best 24 strikeouts for the Red Storm versus Providence this past weekend. She had double digit strikeout totals in both games as she tallied 10 K’s on Saturday and 14 strikeouts on Sunday. The senior held the Friars to just one earned run in her first outing and two in her second start to finish with a league-low 1.24 ERA in 17 innings of work. Morris held Providence’s offense to a batting average of .232.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Lauren Fey, Butler, Fr., OF (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Fey went 5-for-7 in the Bulldogs’ final two games versus DePaul and recorded a hit in all three games. She totaled five RBI and also scored a run in Butler’s win, finishing the weekend with a batting average of .545 and on-base percentage of .583. Her six hits were tied for second in the league over the weekend.
Kiara Mills, Creighton, Fr., UT (West Covina, Calif.)
Mills was tied atop the BIG EAST this weekend in both RBI (7) and home runs (3). She also had the second-best slugging percentage at 1.400. The rookie went 2-for-3 in the Bluejays’ first game and 3-for-4 in their final game against Georgetown with a batting average of .500 and on-base percentage of .615.
Gabby O’Riley, DePaul, Fr., C/3B (Mooresville, Ind.)
O’Riley helped the Blue Demons take two from Butler by leading the league with seven hits. She hit .700 and tallied an on-base percentage of .727 in the conference-opening weekend, which were both third-best overall. The freshman had a slugging percentage of 1.000 and added three RBI, two runs and a homer.
Megan McCune, Providence, Sr., P/UT (Orange, Calif.)
McCune hit .500 in just two games for the Friars with a slugging percentage of .900. She had five hits in 10 at-bats and was tied for third in the league with six RBI. She also scored a run and connected on two doubles and a triple against St. John’s.
Kaitlin Mattera, St. John’s, Jr., C (Coventry, R.I.)
Mattera had a league-most four doubles for the Red Storm over the weekend. She had six hits against the Friars, which was tied for second in the BIG EAST. Her slugging percentage was 1.182 and she batted .545. The junior also added four runs, three RBI and a home run.