Last Week’s Stats: .636 AVG (7-for-11), .909 SLG%, .750 OB%, 6 R, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 5 BB, 5-5 SB
It was an NEC Player of the Week repeat for Hinkle, and with this week’s honor, the outfielder closed out her junior campaign with three awards on the season. The La Crescenta, CA native had a solid week at the plate and thanks to her bat, LIU finished on top of the NEC standings for the second time in as many years. Hinkle combined for a .636 average at the plate, which included a healthy .500 clip (4-for-8) in the Sharks’ final NEC series, a pivotal three-game sweep of Mercyhurst. In addition, she scored four runs and drove in six more to lead her team to a perfect 4-0 mark during the week. Hinkle started her week off with an impressive outing against Saint Peter’s in non-conference action by going 3-for-3 with a double, four RBI and two runs. In LIU’s opening game against the Lakers on Saturday, she accounted a third of her team’s scoring with three runs in a 9-8 win after crossing home twice and registering one RBI. Hinkle was also solid in a pivotal extra-inning affair with the Lakers in Saturday’s nightcap, a win that ultimately clinched the regular season crown and the top seed in the upcoming NEC Tournament. Pulling the Sharks out of a one-run hole with an RBI double in the bottom of the third, she went on to score in that frame to give LIU an 3-2 advantage in the eventual 4-3 triumph. Hinkle closed out the regular season as the NEC’s statistical leader in runs (45) and hits (64), while her 12 doubles and .386 batting average ranked seventh and fourth, respectively.