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NEC Player of the Week: Hayley Norton, SFU
NEC Pitcher of the Week: Ethel Santai, SFU
NEC Rookies of the Week: Sarah Ogilvie, CCSU
Previous NEC Releases: April 10 | April 3 | March 27 | March 20 | March 13 | March 6 | Febrruary 27 | February 20 | February 13 | Preseason Poll Release
NEC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Hayley Norton, Saint Francis U
So., OF, Spring Grove, PA/Spring Grove
Norton's bat propelled the Red Flash to an 8-0 week that included six Northeast Conference wins. While recording a team-high 10 RBI, she batted .458 (11-for-24) with three doubles, three home runs and two stolen bases. Norton started the stretch by homering in each half of Saint Francis U's doubleheader sweep of defending Northeast Conference champion LIU Brooklyn. She went 2-for-4 in each game of a mid-week non-conference double dip against Bucknell, collecting two RBI on the day. After walking and scoring one run in the first half of Friday’s doubleheader against Robert Morris, Norton exploded for four RBI in the nightcap. Her three-run home run turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 advantage with one out in the fifth inning. She struck again in the sixth, blasting a two-out run-scoring double to centerfield. Norton added an RBI in each end of Saturday’s doubleheader sweep against Mount St. Mary’s. On the season, Norton is hitting .317 and has 42 RBI and 11 home runs.
NEC CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Ethel Santai, Saint Francis U
Sr., P, Pine Grove, PA/Pine Grove
Santai made six appearances in the circle during the Red Flash’s 8-0 week and the senior hurler earned the victory in five of those contests. Pitching to a 1.38 ERA, Santai logged 25.1 innings and her 5-0 record featured two complete-game NEC wins. The SFU senior accounted for a n 0.79 WHIP, striking out 19 batters while allowing only 18 hits and two bases on balls. She made her first of six appearances for the week in the first half of Monday’s doubleheader against LIU Brooklyn. Santai went the distance in the 9-1 triumph, allowing only six baserunners over 6.0 innings of winning softball. She returned to the circle in a relief role later that afternoon, firing 1.1 scoreless frames in Saint Francis’ 2-1 victory. Santai was the winning pitcher in both halves of Saint Francis’ NEC doubleheader with rival Robert Morris on Friday. She started Game 1, allowing three hits over 4.0 shutout frames in a 7-2 triumph. The Keystone State product came out of the bullpen to log 4.0 innings in the nightcap, qualifying as the pitcher of record in the 10-6 triumph. Santai concluded the week with complete-game gem against Mount St. Mary's. She limited the Mount to one run and fanned a career-high 11 batters while walking no one in a 6-1 win. Santai also threw 3.0 innings of one-run ball in a mid-week start against Patriot League member Bucknell, but did not factor into the decision.
NEC CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK
McKaleigh Goodale, Wagner
Sr., P, Bradenton, FL/Lakewood Ranch
Goodale made two starts last week and has two complete-game victories to show for them. The native Floridian allowed only one run and eight hits while walking no one over 14.0 innings. Pitching to an 0.57 WHIP, Goodale registered 10 strikeouts and surrendered only one extra-base hit. She struck out seven batters during Wagner’s 2-1 victory over local NEC rival LIU Brooklyn. Goodale, who limited the Blackbirds to six hits, closed out the victory by retiring the side in order, all on groundouts, in the seventh. One day later, she twirled another gem against Sacred Heart. After Wagner’s offense supplied her with a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Goodale did the rest. The senior hurler fired a two-hit shutout for her fourth win of the season.
NEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sarah Ogilvie, Central Connecticut
Fr., P, Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway
Ogilvie made an impact at the plate and in the circle last week for the Blue Devils. She started the stretch by firing a complete-game victory against MAAC member Siena. En-route to her first career win, Ogilvie allowed only two hits while striking out six batters over 7.0 innings. Ogilvie was again the pitcher of record during CCSU’s last game of the week, throwing 6.0 innings of shutout ball against MAAC member Manhattan. She came on the start the fifth inning, inheriting a 2-1 deficit and pitching Central to a 5-2 extra-inning victory. At the plate, she recorded three hits, including a pair of doubles, to go along with two runs and three RBI. She struck an RBI double in the sixth inning of CCSU’s 6-1 triumph over Siena. In an 11-1 win over NEC rival Mount St. Mary’s, Ogilvie connected on a run-scoring single in the first inning before stroking a RBI two-bagger in the fourth.
Other NEC Prime Performers
Brianna Tredway (Downington, PA/Downington West), who owns a 10-game hit streak, recorded 10 hits and 6 RBI during Wagner's 4-2 week.
Around the NEC
Saint Francis U is off to an 8-0 start in the Northeast Conference thanks to six wins over the week. The Red Flash are on an eight-game winning streak. Offensively, Saint Francis U is amongst the best nationally in home runs per game (1.05) and scoring (6.16 rpg).
Red Flash slugger Jordan Seneca (Plum, PA/Plum) continues to be a leader in the NCAA. She ranks third with 16 home runs and 0.46 home runs per game, 10th in RBIs per game (1.21) and seventh in RBIs (52).