Creighton’s Miller, Villanova’s Rauch Receive Weekly #BIGEASTsb Honors
NEW YORK – Two sophomores have earned the latest BIG EAST Softball accolades. Villanova’s Paige Rauch was selected as the Player of the Week, while Creighton’s Kiele Miller was recognized as the Pitcher of the Week. Rauch secures her first award of the season, and Miller picks up her third honor this year. Rauch led the Wildcats to a sweep of Georgetown on the road last week; while Miller helped the Bluejays win a series against Butler at home.
BIG EAST Player of the Week
Paige Rauch, Villanova, So., INF/P (Windsor, N.Y.)
Rauch had quite a series against the Hoyas. She hit for the cycle and broke Villanova’s single-season home run record with 13 in game two, and picked up the wins in the circle in games one and three. Not only did she lead almost every significant statistical batting category after last week’s league games, she was one strikeout shy of the most strikeouts in the conference over the same span with 16. Rauch topped the conference in batting average (.667), slugging percentage (1.778), on base percentage (.727), RBI (7), hits (6) and runs scored (6). She was also tied at the top of the league with two home runs and two doubles, along with a triple. She started two games in the circle and won both, putting in 11 innings of work. In game one, she had 10 strikeouts and allowed just two runs. She tallied six strikeouts in game three and did not allow a run in a five-inning, complete-game shutout. Rauch’s ERA was tied for third-best in the league at 1.27. With the sweep, Villanova takes over sole possession of third-place in the BIG EAST standings.
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week
Kiele Miller, Creighton, So., P (Dripping Springs, Texas)
Miller made the most of her start in game one against Butler. The sophomore did not allow a run in a seven-inning shutout for a league-leading ERA of 0.00. She allowed just three hits and collected 10 strikeouts for the third time this season, which also was third-best in the conference last week. Miller was second in the BIG EAST with an opposing batting average of .125.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Alyssa Graves, Butler, So., P (East Peoria, Ill.)
Graves went 1-1 and led the BIG EAST with 17 strikeouts and allowed only three hits in the Bulldogs’ series against Creighton. She tallied 10 strikeouts in game one, despite giving up two earned runs. In game three, Graves secured the win and did not allow a run in the five-inning shutout. She finished with an ERA of 1.27 and a league-low .091 opposing batting average.
Sam Alm, Creighton, Fr., UT (Omaha, Neb.)
Alm hit a walk-off infield single in game two against Butler to secure the Bluejays’ series win. She was second in the league with a batting average of .571 and third in on base percentage at .625. In the first two games, she went 4-for-6 with two doubles, two runs scored and one RBI.
Daniela Alvarez, Providence, Fr., P (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Alvarez went 1-1 in her two starts and tallied eight strikeouts in 13 innings of work. In the Friars’ second game versus Seton Hall, she did not allow a run and recorded the win. Alvarez finished with an ERA of 1.62.
Kaitlyn Lologo, St. John’s, Fr., UT (Irvine, Calif.)
Lologo recorded the first multi-home run outing of her career after she connected on two long balls in the second game of a doubleheader against second-place DePaul. She went 3-for-5 with a team-high three RBI and two runs scored for a batting average of .600.
Madison Strunk, Seton Hall, Sr., P (Adkins, Texas)
Strunk tallied the two wins for Seton Hall in the circle against Providence. In game two, Strunk did not allow an earned run. She went 12 innings in all and had nine strikeouts for an ERA of 1.75.