NEC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Grace Lawton, Central Connecticut 
Infield, Senior, Merrimack, NH/Merrimack
Last Week’s Stats: .579 BA (11-for-19), 1.000 SLG, 0.600 OBP, 4 R, 7 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR, 1 BB
Lawton was a force to be reckoned with at the plate for Central Connecticut during its season-opening stretch at the Spartan Classic. Going 11-for-19 for a sizzling .579 batting average, the veteran infielder walked away with a 1.600 OPS following the five-game stretch. Lawton, who crossed home four times, racked up seven RBI and four extra base hits after she belted out a pair of doubles and two home runs. The Merrimack, NH product got her season going with a bang at Norfolk State on Friday. Going 3-for-4 for her first of four multi-hit outings of the weekend, she got the scoring going for the Blue Devils with an RBI single in the top half of the first frame. Later in the contest, she pushed her team’s lead to 4-1 in the eventual 5-1 win with another RBI base hit in the seventh frame. Knocking in a pair of runs while recording her second double of the year in a defeat to Rider on Saturday, Lawton helped her team avenge that setback to the Broncs on Sunday after she belted out two home runs and drove in three runs as part of a 2-for-2 effort inside the batter’s box. Central Connecticut went on to win that contest by a 5-3 count. Lawton currently leads the Blue Devils and is ranked second in the NEC in batting average, while her 1.600 OPS is first in the circuit.

NEC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Liz Hamilton, Central Connecticut
Pitcher, Junior, Powell, OH/Buckeye Valley
Last Week’s Stats: 3.20 ERA, 2-0 Record, 3 APP, 2 GS, 19.2 IP, 2 CG, 17 H, 9 ER, 7 BB, 13 K, .230 OPP BA
Hamilton went the distance in each of her two starts and came away with a pair of wins in Central Connecticut’s season-opening weekend at the Spartan Classic. Combining for a 3.20 ERA over 19.2 innings of work and three appearances, the Powell, OH native fanned 13 batters and held opponents to a .230 batting average during that stretch. Hamilton pitched a beauty of a game in the Blue Devils’ season debut on Friday against Norfolk State. Tossing 7.0 innings, she allowed just one run on four hits and fanned seven batters in the 5-1 victory over the host squad. Two days later, she earned the start in the circle against Rider and piloted her team to another victory. Allowing three earned runs on five hits while issuing three walks, she fanned one batter in the 5-3 triumph. Hamilton also saw action on Saturday when she tossed 5.2 innings of relief and struck out five against Norfolk State. 

NEC SOFTBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Stella Gasper, Central Connecticut
Infield, Freshman, Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin
Last Week’s Stats: .579 BA (7-for-19), .579 SLG, .368 OBP, 1 R, 4 RBI, 4 2B
Gasper made a splash for Central Connecticut in her collegiate debut at the Spartan Classic last weekend. Posting a .579 average at the plate and a .579 slugging percentage, the first-year infielder racked up four RBI after she doubled four times during the five-game stretch. After she registered her first career hit in the top of the fourth of her first game as a collegian on Friday against host-team Norfolk State, Gasper pushed her team’s lead to 5-1 in the top of the seventh with her first-ever extra-base hit, an RBI double to centerfield. Later that day, the infielder made it doubles in back-to-back outings with a three-RBI blast in the bottom of the sixth that put Central Connecticut in front of Rider by a 6-5 count in an eventual extra-inning defeat. On Saturday, Gasper, a native of Harrisburg, PA, doubled her two-bagger total to four after she launched a pair of doubles in an 8-6 defeat to the Spartans. Her four doubles currently leads all NEC players, while her .368 batting average is good for third among fellow Blue Devils. 


NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Shannon Gavigan, LEM (UT, Jr)
Last Week’s Stats: .333 BA (4-for-12), .400 OB%, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 1-1 SB

• Went 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI to help lead the Dolphins to a 19-16 win over Morehead State (Feb. 7)

 
Maddie Martin, LEM (MI, So)
Last Week’s Stats: .600 BA (6-for-10), .600 SLG%, .600 OBP, 3 R, 1 RBI, 3-3 SB

• Went 4-for-5 with two runs and three stolen bases in Le Moyne’s 19-16 win over Morehead State (Feb. 7)

 
Alayna Giampolo, WAG (IF/DP, So)
Last Week’s Stats: .583 BA (7-for-12), .667 OBP, 6 R, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 2 BB, 2-2 SB

• NEC Player of the Week
• Scored twice against both Saint Louis (Feb. 7) and Montana (Feb. 7)
• Added two RBI in Wagner’s 6-0 win over the Grizzlies

 
Geanice Morales, WAG (1B/DP, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .500 BA (6-for-12), .647 OBP, 2 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 2-3 SB

• Opened the season with a five-game hit streak after recording at least one in every game

 
Karson Zavala, WAG (P, Jr)
Last Week’s Stats: 4.59 ERA, 1-0 Record, 3 APP, 2 GS, 1 SHO, 10.2 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, 7 BB, 13 K, .262 OPP BA

• NEC Pitcher of the Week
• Tossed a two-hit shutout to lead Wagner to its first win of the season, a 6-0 defeat of Montana
• Fanned nine batters against the Grizzlies