NEC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lily Hinkle, LIU
Outfield, Junior, La Crescenta, CA/Crescenta Valley
Last Week’s Stats: .556 AVG (5-for-9), 1.222 SLG%, .583 OB%, 5 R, 6 RBI, 2 HR, 2 BB, 2-2 SB
Hinkle, a junior outfielder, strung together three impressive outings at the plate to help LIU remain undefeated in NEC play at 9-0 with a three-game sweep of FDU this past weekend. The La Crescenta, CA native slugged 1.222 during that stretch after she went 5-for-9 with two moon shots. In addition, Hinkle, who posted a .583 on-base percentage, drew two walks, scored five runs and drove in six more while going perfect in each of her stolen base attempts. Driving in the first run of the series with a single in the fifth inning to guide LIU to a 3-0 win on Saturday, she made it a 5-0 game in the top of the second of the nightcap with a solo home run and scored two more times in the 10-5 victory. Hinkle put the finishing touches on a solid weekend — and the Sharks’ sweep of the Knights — with a three-run homer on Sunday. In the eventual 11-1 triumph, she racked up four RBI in the five-inning decision. She is the second Shark to garner NEC Player of the Week distinction this season, joining two-time winner Nyae’ Villalta. Hinkle enters the week ranked second in runs scored (23) and hits (33) while her 16 walks are tied for second-most in the conference.

NEC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Karson Zavala, Wagner
Pitcher, Junior, Chino Hills, CA/Ruben S. Ayala
Last Week’s Stats: 0.54 ERA, 3-0 Record, 4 APP, 2 GS, 1 SHO, 12.3 IP, 1 CG, 12 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 17 K, .235 OPP AVG
Zavala brought the heat for Wagner last week to help lead the Seahawks to a 3-1 record. In 12.3 innings of work, the hurler, who went 3-0 across four appearances and a pair of starts, posted a 0.54 ERA after allowing just one earned run. In addition, the California native fanned 17 batters to boost her season total to 69, a mark that is one off of the league leader. Zavala went to work early in the week for the Seahawks. Coming out of the bullpen at Iona on Thursday with the game tied at 5-5 and two down in the bottom of the sixth, the junior put down the final four Gael batters she faced to earn the win in the 6-5 decision. Two days later, she opened Wagner’s three-game set with New Haven in dominant fashion, going the distance while striking out 10 batters en route to a six-hit 2-0 shutout on Saturday. Zavala went on to pick up her third victory of the week in her final appearance on Sunday. Scattering two runs — one earned — on six hits over 4.0 frames, she helped the Seahawks build a 5-2 lead and earn the weekend sweep with an eventual 8-2 victory. Zavala leads the NEC in ERA (3.38) and opposing batting average (.240).
   
NEC SOFTBALL CO-ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
Kayla Dunkerley, Le Moyne
Left Field, Freshman, Purcellville, VA/Loudon Valley
Last Week’s Stats: .357 AVG (5-for-14), .857 SLG%, .438 OB%, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 1-1 SB
Dunkerley nabbed NEC Rookie of the Week honors for the second time this month after she helped lead Le Moyne to a 2-2 week that included a series win over defending league champion Saint Francis over the weekend. Posting a .357 batting average (5-for-14) and a 1.295 OPS, the Virginia product sent four of her hits for extra bases during that stretch after she notched two doubles, one triple and a homer. Dunkerley had a stellar outing in Sunday’s nightcap against the Red Flash. After her team opened the series with a 6-5 triumph, the left fielder guided the Dolphins to the 9-6 win with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate that featured a double, one triple, two runs and two RBI. Dunkerley enters the week ranked fourth in the league in doubles (7) and 10th in slugging percentage (.545).

Samantha Lotus, Wagner
Pitcher, Freshman, Fontana, CA/Grand Terrace
Last Week’s Stats: 1.02 ERA, 1-1 Record, 4 APP, 2 GS, 1 SHO, 1 SV, 20.2 IP, 1 CG, 22 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 11 K, .275 OPP AVG
Wagner landed its first NEC Rookie of the Week honoree thanks to the clutch pitching of Lotus this past weekend. In four appearances against non-conference foes Stony Brook and Iona and a pair of league tilts with New Haven, the first-year hurler from Fontana, CA combined for a stingy 1.02 ERA in 20.2 innings of work. Lotus came out of the bullpen in Thursday’s nightcap against the Gaels and allowed two runs (one earned) in 4.1 frames to help the Seahawks grind out a 6-5 triumph in Staten Island. Two days later, she earned the starting nod in Saturday’s second game looking to help Wagner secure the series win against New Haven, and she did not disappoint. Striking out three batters, Lotus went the distance and earned the three-hit shutout after Wagner soared to a 3-0 victory. On Sunday, she entered the game in the top of the fifth with her squad leading by a 5-2 count and delivered a lockdown performance by shutting the door on New Haven with three scoreless innings for her first career save. Lotus ranks fourth in the league in strikeouts (40) while her 3.54 ERA and .315 opposing batting average are the second- and seventh-best marks in the NEC, respectively.


NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Ashlyn Desaulniers, CCSU (CF, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .563 AVG (9-for-16), 1.250 SLG%, .563 OB%, 7 R, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 1-1 SB

• Six of her nine hits on the week went for extra bases
• Went 4-for-4 with two home runs and a double in Sunday’s win, a 6-4 decision (March 29)

 
Grace Lawton, CCSU (IF, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .455 AVG (5-for-11), 1.000 SLG%, .600 OB%, 2 R, 8 RBI, 2 HR, 4 BB

• Homered twice for three RBI in the opening game against Mercyhurst, a 10-1 five-inning win on Saturday (March 28)
• Leads the NEC in batting average (.464), slugging percentage (.957) and OPS (1.470)

 
Skylar Warn, CCSU (IF, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .500 AVG (5-for-10), .800 SLG%, .571 OB%, 3 R, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 3 BB

• Went 5-for-7 at the plate to lead Central Connecticut to a 2-1 mark against Mercyhurst

 
Audrey Benderski, LEM (1B, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .583 AVG (7-for-12), 1.083 SLG%, .643 OB%, 4 R, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB

• Led Le Moyne with a 1.726 OPS in a 2-2 week that featured a 2-1 record in NEC play
• Homered and scored a season-best three times in Monday’s defeat to Saint Francis (March 30)

 
Kayla Dunkerley, LEM (OF, Fr)
Last Week’s Stats: .357 AVG (5-for-14), .857 SLG%, .438 OB%, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 1-1 SB

• NEC Co-Rookie of the Week
• Combined to bat 4-for-8 in Le Moyne’s series win against Saint Francis
• Doubled and tripled as part of a 3-for-3 effort in Sunday’s 9-6 win, scoring two runs while driving in two more (March 29)

 
Lily Hinkle, LIU (OF, Jr)
Last Week’s Stats: .556 AVG (5-for-9), 1.222 SLG%, .583 OB%, 5 R, 6 RBI, 2 HR, 2 BB, 2-2 SB

• NEC Player of the Week
• Made it a 5-0 game with a solo home run and scored three times in Sunday’s opener against FDU, a 10-5 win (March 29)
• Launched a three-run homer to help LIU secure the series sweep of FDU on Sunday

 
Sarah Wall, LIU (P, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: 1.27 ERA, 2-0 Record, 3 APP, 3 GS, 11.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, .179 OPP AVG

• Earned the win in Saturday’s 3-0 series-opening win over FDU after allowing just two runs while striking out four (March 28)
• Struck out four while allowing one earned run on four hits and a pair of walks to guide the Sharks to the three-game sweep with an 11-1, five-inning triumph (March 29)

 
Morgan Pasternak, SFU (OF, So)
Last Week’s Stats: .421 AVG (8-for-19), .895 SLG%, .476 OB%, 5 R, 8 RBI, 3 2B, 2 HR, 2 HBP

• Five of her eight hits went for extra bags on four doubles and a home run
• Drove in five runs and scored three times after registering a double and a homer in a 12-12 tie with Bucknell on Thursday (March 26)
• Is tied for the league lead in RBI with 29

 
Alexa Hospodar, STO (P, Jr)
Last Week’s Stats: 0.00 ERA, 1-0 Record, 1 APP, 1 GS, 7.0 IP, 1 CG, 2 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, .080 OPP AVG

• Held Maine to a .080 batting average in Stonehill’s 7-3 victory, allowing three runs on two hits and four walks
• Did not allow an earned run in the triumph

 
Samantha Lotus, WAG (P, Fr)
Last Week’s Stats: 1.02 ERA, 1-1 Record, 4 APP, 2 GS, 1 SHO, 1 SV, 20.2 IP, 1 CG, 22 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 11 K, .275 OPP AVG

• Tossed a complete game shutout in Saturday’s nightcap against New Haven, scattering just three walks and four hits (March 28)
• Was lockdown in relief in Sunday’s series finale after tossing 3.0 scoreless frames in the 8-2 win (March 29)

 
Sydnie Trujillo, WAG (IF, Jr)
Last Week’s Stats: .462 AVG (6-for-13), .462 SLG%, .588 OB%, 1 R, 4 RBI, 4 BB

• Batted .667 (6-for-9) in the three-game sweep of New Haven with four RBI and one run 

 
Karson Zavala, WAG (P, Jr)
Last Week’s Stats: 0.54 ERA, 3-0 Record, 4 APP, 2 GS, 1 SHO, 12.3 IP, 1 CG, 12 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 17 K, .235 OPP AVG

• NEC Pitcher of the Week
• With the game tied at 5-5 and two down in the bottom of the sixth, put down each of the final four Gael batters she faced to earn the win and lead the Seahawks to the 6-5 decision on Thursday (March 26) 
• Went the distance in the series opener with New Haven, striking out 10 batters en route to a six-hit 2-0 shutout on Saturday (March 28)
• Leads the NEC in ERA (3.38) and opposing batting average (.240)