NEC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ava Cino, Central Connecticut
Shortstop, Senior, Bayville, NJ/Central Regional (Liberty)
Last Week’s Stats: .350 AVG (7-for-20), .850 SLG%, .435 OB%, 6 R, 12 RBI, 1 2B, 3 HR, 3 BB
Cino’s prowess at the plate led a red-hot Central Connecticut squad to back-to-back series sweeps of NEC foes and the program’s fourth consecutive trip to the upcoming NEC Championship. Reaching base 15 times in 23 plate appearances, the Blue Devils’ slugger had a monstrous week, batting .350 while slugging .850 after sending four of her seven hits for extra bases on one double and three home runs. In addition, the Garden State product accounted for 18 of her team’s 44 runs last week after she crossed home six times and drove in 12 more runs. Cino opened a mid-week set with Stonehill with an absolute bang. Finishing the game 2-for-4, she had a five-RBI day in the 10-1 victory behind the strength of a first-inning three-run homer on Wednesday. The veteran short stop did some serious damage on the Skyhawks once again in the final game of the series on Thursday, going yard twice to finish with four RBI in the 6-3 win. Later in the week, Cino drove in three runs and scored twice against New Haven to help Central Connecticut score 2-0, 11-3 and 10-5 triumphs. With this week’s honor, Cino is the third Blue Devil to take home NEC Player of the Week distinction, joining Grace Lawton (Feb. 17) and Sophia LoPiccolo (March 24). She enters the week ranked first in the conference in doubles (12), ninth in batting average (.358), seventh in on-base percentage (.470) and eighth in slugging percentage (.579).

NEC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Liz Hamilton, Central Connecticut
Pitcher, Junior, Powell, OH/Buckeye Valley
Last Week’s Stats: 1.93 ERA, 5-0 Record, 5 APP, 4 GS, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 29.0 IP, 4 CG, 23 H, 9 ER (8 ER), 11 BB, 21 K, .223 OPP AVG 
The Blue Devils rode the wave of Hamilton’s right arm last week to the tune of a perfect 6-0 record against NEC competitors. During that stretch, which featured consecutive three-game sweeps of Stonehill and New Haven, the ace, who worked the circle for all but nine of her team’s 38 innings, racked up a whopping five victories in five appearances and four starts. In addition, Hamilton posted an impressive 1.93 ERA after scattering just eight earned runs on 23 hits in 29.0 frames pitched. The Buckeye State native made an instant impact in her first appearance of the week — a start against Stonehill on Wednesday. Going the distance in the five-inning affair, 11 of her 29 strikeouts on the week came in the four-hit 10-1 triumph. In Game Two of the series on Thursday, Hamilton came out of the bullpen to throw 3.0 scoreless innings and earn the win before she helped Central Connecticut earn the series sweep in the nightcap, a 6-3 win. She was again a workhorse for the Blue Devils over the weekend, allowing just four combined earned runs in 14.0 frames to lead her team to a 2-0 win on Saturday and a 10-5 victory on Sunday. With the six wins, Central Connecticut clinched a berth to the NEC Tournament for the fourth time in as many seasons. With 13 wins, Hamilton leads the NEC while her 92 punchouts and 3.29 ERA are both good for second in the league. This is her second NEC Pitcher of the Week honor this season. 
   
NEC SOFTBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Gabriella DeLuca, Mercyhurst
Pitcher/Shortstop, Freshman, Erie, PA/McDowell
Last Week’s Batting Stats: .450 AVG (9-for-20), 1.050 SLG%, .429 OB%, 3 R, 14 RBI, 3 2B, 3 HR
DeLuca had one of the most potent bats in the league last week. Sending six of her nine hits for extra bases with three doubles and a trio of moon shots, the rookie and local product from Erie, PA slashed .450/.429/1.050 en route to earning her first-ever NEC Rookie of the Week award, and the first by a Laker this season. During that stretch, the short stop drove in 14 runs and crossed home three times for Mercyhurst, which split six league games. In addition to her timely hitting, DeLuca flashed her versatility in the circle after she tossed a complete game in Wednesday’s rubber match with Saint Francis. Striking out four batters while allowing just two earned runs on six hits, she nabbed her third victory of the season and led the Lakers to the NEC series victory by way of a 4-2 decision. DeLuca also had one of her most productive outings in the batter’s box in that triumph, registering a sacrifice fly before plating three more runs on her second moon shot of the series. She went on to have another monstrous performance in her team’s 16-2 win over FDU on Saturday. Going a perfect 4-for-4, she doubled twice and finished with six RBI. The freshman ranks among the league’s leaders in several categories, as she is fifth in slugging percentage (.590), seventh in home runs (5) and ninth in RBI (22).


NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Ava Cino, CCSU (SS, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .350 AVG (7-for-20), .850 SLG%, .435 OB%, 6 R, 12 RBI, 1 2B, 3 HR, 3 BB

• NEC Player of the Week 
• Led Central Connecticut to a perfect 6-0 record in league play that included sweeps against Stonehill and New Haven
• Combined for nine RBI and four runs on three long balls against the Skyhawks, a stretch that saw the Blue Devils hold a 21-7 advantage in runs
• Went yard two times and had four RBI in the third game against Stonehill, a 6-3 victory on Thursday (April 9)

 
Liz Hamilton, CCSU (P, Jr)
Last Week’s Stats: 1.93 ERA, 5-0 Record, 5 APP, 4 GS, 1 SHO, 0 SV, 29.0 IP, 4 CG, 23 H, 9 ER (8 ER), 11 BB, 21 K, .223 OPP AVG 

• NEC Pitcher of the Week
• Went the distance in all four of her starts and accounted for five of the Blue Devils’ six wins last week
• Fanned 11 batters in the series opener against New Haven on Saturday, going the distance in the four-hit shutout (April 11)
• After getting the 10-1 five-inning win in the series opener vs. Stonehill with a complete-game effort, went on to earn the victory in Wednesday’s nightcap against the Skyhawks after coming out of the bullpen to toss 3.0 scoreless innings (April 8)

 
Grace Lawton, CCSU (IF, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .389 AVG (7-for-18), .944 SLG%, .500 OB%, 5 R, 9 RBI, 4 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB

• Helped the Blue Devils secure a spot in the NEC Tournament after leading her squad to a 6-0 record last week
• Sent six of her seven hits for extra bases with four two-baggers and a pair of home runs
• Batted 7-for-10 with four doubles, nine RBI and four runs in the three-game sweep of New Haven
• Racked up seven RBI and homered twice in Sunday’s 10-5 victory over New Haven (April 12)

 
Ayden Stone, FDU (1B, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .421 AVG (8-for-19), .842 SLG%, .429 OB%, 5 R, 9 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR, 1 HBP, 1-1 SB

• Doubled and homered twice in FDU’s two wins against Mercyhurst
• Recorded an RBI double and a three-run homer in Saturday’s series opener, a 7-3 win (April 11)
• Opened the scoring with a first-inning blast in the series finale, finishing 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBI and two runs in the 15-5 victory (April 12)

 
Hannah Burnett, LIU (IF, So)
Last Week’s Stats: .714 AVG (5-for-7), 1.714 SLG%, .778 OBP, 3 R, 5 RBI, 1 2B, 2 HR, 2 HBP, 1-1 SB

• Led a postseason-bound LIU squad to a 2-1 record against Wagner after slugging 1.714 with three extra-base hits
• Hit a career-high two home runs and tied a career-best in RBI (4) in Wednesday’s series clinching 5-4 win over Wagner (April 8)

 
Gabriella DeLuca, MU (P/SS, Fr)
Last Week’s Batting Stats: .450 AVG (9-for-20), 1.050 SLG%, .429 OB%, 3 R, 14 RBI, 3 2B, 3 HR
Last Week’s Pitching Stats: 1-1 Record, 2 APP, 2 GS, 9.0 IP, 1 CG, 13 H, 8 R (7 ER), 5 BB, 4 K

• NEC Rookie of the Week
• Homered twice and drove in six runs in a mid-week series against Saint Francis, a stretch that saw Mercyhurst go 2-1 
• In Wednesday’s 4-2 win, hit a SAC fly and a three-run homer while tossing a complete game with two earned runs and four strikeouts
• Recorded four hits — included a pair of doubles — and drove in six runs in Saturday’s 16-2 win over FDU (April 11)

 
Karlie Kasten, MU (CF, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .417 AVG (10-for-24), .667 SLG%, .440 OB%, 9 R, 4 RBI, 3 3B, 1 BB

• Had four RBI from the leadoff spot in Mercyhurst’s 16-2 win over FDU (April 11)
• Tripled twice against the Knights in Saturday’s win and in Sunday’s rubber match (April 12)

 
Sofia Zielinski, SFU (UT, So)
Last Week’s Stats: .571 AVG (12-for-21), .667 SLG%, .609 OB%, 7 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 2 BB, 1-1 SB

• Recorded at least one hit in all six games last week
• Had multiple hits in each of the three games against Mercyhurst
• Went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI in Wednesday’s 10-6 win (April 8)

 
Jessica Brill, STO (C, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .545 AVG (6-for-11), .727 SLG%, .545 OB%, 2 R, 7 RBI, 2 2B

• Had multiple hits and multiple RBI in all three games against Saint Francis to help the Skyhawks take the season series

 
Harper Sullivan, STO (1B, P)
Last Week’s Stats: .500 AVG (9-for-18), 1.056 SLG%, .571 OB%, 5 R, 4 RBI, 1 2B, 3 HR, 3 BB

• Rides a 13-game hitting streak into the week
• Batted .556 with a double and a home run in the series win over Saint Francis 

 
Payton Janicki, WAG (IF, Sr)
Last Week’s Stats: .450 AVG (9-for-20), .700 SLG%, .478 OB%, 4 R, 10 RBI, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1-1 SB

• Notched three-straight three-RBI games in the series finale with LIU (April 8) and the first two games against Le Moyne (April 11)
• Went 4-for-4 with three RBI and a pair of runs in Saturday’s nightcap, an 11-2 win in five frames