PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The American Athletic Conference has announced the winners of the league’s weekly softball honors for the opening week of the 2019 season.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Regan Hadley · Sr. · C · Memphis
Hadley had a strong start to her senior year, finishing the week with a .400 average (6-for-15) with a conference-leading 10 RBI. In the first game against Michigan State, Hadley hit her second career grand slam and finished with a career-high five RBI. In the second game against Michigan State, Hadley registered three hits and drove in two runs to help lead Memphis to its first win over the Spartans in program history. Hadley scored three runs this weekend and had three multi-RBI games.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Erin Poepping · So. · RHP · ECU
Poepping enjoyed a stellar start to the season, going 3-0 with a 0.46 ERA and 13 strikeouts against just two walks in 15.1 innings pitched. She allowed one earned run on the weekend and tossed two complete games. She scattered two hits and allowed one unearned run with five strikeouts in a 9-1 five-inning win over Miami (Ohio). Poepping earned the win in relief against Towson, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings and surrendering just one hit in the Pirates' 14-5 win. She finished the weekend with her third victory in the 3-1 win over USC Upstate when she went the distance (7.0 IP), allowing one earned run with seven strikeouts.
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Tyler King · So. · OF · ECU
King hit .500 (9-for-18) with eight runs scored, a double, two RBI and five stolen bases to start 2019, pacing The American in three categories over the weekend - hits (9), runs scored (8) and stolen bases (5).
Marybeth Olson · Soph. · RHP · UConn
Olson went 1-1 with a complete game victory over Byrant with 11 strikeouts and gave up just three hits as UConn opened the season with a 3-1 weekend in Florida, including the team’s first 3-0 start since the 2007 season.
Bethaney Keen · R-So. ·1B · USF
Keen had a four-game hitting streak to open the season and led the Bulls, batting .385 in five games. She registered five hits, two RBI and two runs with 11 total bases, and hit a home run in her first at-bat after returning from injury in 2018.
Chenise Delse · Fr. · RHP · Tulsa
Delse made her collegiate debut against Bucknell and yielded one earned run in a tough-luck loss while striking out nine, the most for a Tulsa freshman in her debut since 2011. She tossed nine shutout innings with seven more strikeouts to pick up a win over Iowa, holding opponents to a .200 average against her in two starts.
Caitlin Bingham· So. · RHP · Wichita State
Bingham went 2-1 in the opening weekend, striking out a career-high 10 batters in a win over Pitt and tossing her first complete game in a win against Central Michigan. She struck out 20 batters in 20.0 innings of work with three complete games.