Kowalski turned in two stellar outings inside the circle this past weekend to lead Sacred Heart to a three-game sweep of Saint Francis U, which entered the series in first place in the NEC standings. The San Clemente, CA native anchored a Sacred Heart pitching staff that held a potent Red Flash offense to just 10 runs over the three-game stretch. Kowalski went the distance in each of her starts and posted a 1.50 ERA in 14.0 innings after giving up three earned runs on her watch. The rookie was solid in her first appearance, striking out five while allowing three earned runs on nine hits to lead the Pios to a 7-4 victory in Friday’s nightcap. Kowalski was even more impressive on Saturday, as she closed the door on Saint Francis U and clinched the series sweep after tossing her second complete-game shutout of the season. The hurler closed out the weekend with a .236 opposing batting average and seven strikeouts. Kowalski, who leads Sacred Heart in wins (7), innings pitched (103.0) and strikeouts (88), becomes the first Pioneer hurler to earn NEC Pitcher of the Week distinction this season.