LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Calvin College’s Anna Gernant and Christopher Newport University’s Leah Andrews captured this week’s Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Pitcher and Player of the Week honors, respectively.
Junior right-hander Gernant pitched the (29-6) Knights past a pair of nationally-ranked opponents — Hope and Trine — and went 3-0 with a 0.00 earned-run average and 32 strikeouts over 28.2 innings in the circle. She held the nation’s second-best hitting team, Trine, to just two hits and fanned nine in a 7-0 victory on Saturday. The Valley High graduate also helped herself at the plate with a .421 average and six runs batted in.
Senior outfielder Andrews, meanwhile, is the second-straight Captain to be honored. She was 6-for-12 (.500) with nine runs, four walks, a double, three homers and 12 RBI. Menchville High product Andrews had a two-run homer, three-run homer and a grand slam, as regular-season champion and top seed Christopher Newport (33-7) went 3-1 against Frostburg State and Penn State-Harrisburg in one of two first-round pods of the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) playoffs. The Captains will host No. 2 seed Salisbury, who won the other pod, in the best-of-three CAC championship series starting Friday at Captains Park.
Other Top Performances
La Verne sophomore third baseman Justice Borden was 4-for-8 (.500) with six runs, a triple and two homers. … Calvin junior second baseman Maddie DeGroot hit .516 in the leadoff spot, with multiple hits against both nationally-ranked Hope and Trine. … St. John Fisher junior catcher Mary Claire Grosvenor hit .688 with an 1.313 slugging percentage and 45 putouts and three assists behind the plate. … Washington (Md.) College senior pitcher/utility player Taylor Harcum went 2-0 with a combined shutout, 0.44 ERA, one walk, and 11 strikeouts in 16 innings, while also going 7-for-15 (.467) with five runs, three doubles, and six RBI at the plate. … Otterbein junior pitcher Gabby Johnson was 2-0 with two complete games, three hits, no walks, and 13 strikeouts over 12 innings. … Washington (Mo.) University senior pitcher Anna McKee did not allow an earned run in 19 innings, with a pair of three-hit shutouts and five innings of relief, going 3-0 with 14 strikeouts. … Texas Lutheran senior pitcher Maitlin Raycroft pitched her fourth and fifth no-hitters of the season (she now has 13 in less than two years with the Bulldogs) in three appearances in the SCAC tournament. For the week, she yielded seven hits, and one earned run, with 24 strikeouts over 14 innings. … Otterbein junior shortstop Alyson Shaw was 11-for-15 (.733) with five runs, two doubles, two steals and three RBI. … Rowan senior outfielder Morgan Smith broke the school record for career doubles (58) with three in a twinbill against Ramapo, hitting .538 for the week. … Suffolk senior catcher Delaney Sylvester was 12-for-21 (.571) with eight runs, two doubles, three homers and 13 RBI, becoming the school’s career hits leader. … Suffolk freshman pitcher/utility player Payton Sylvester hit a go-ahead grand slam against Saint Joseph’s and tossed the first known no-hitter against Simmons. … St. John Fisher senior pitcher Lindsey Thayer tossed a perfect game (her third no-hitter and second perfect game this season), and went 3-0 with a 0.37 ERA, three hits, four walks and 34 strikeouts over 19 innings. … Keuka freshman pitcher Whitney Tyler went 3-0, with two shutouts, including the second perfect game in school history. … Grinnell freshman utility player Darice Wheeler batted .588 (10-for-17) with seven runs, two doubles, four homers and 12 RBI. … Saint Mary’s (Ind.) senior shortstop Jamie Young was 7-for-9 (.778) with five runs, a double, triple and three RBI, while breaking the MIAA single-season record for hits (32).
Winners are selected by the NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee, which has a representative for each of the eight NCAA regions.
2018 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Pitcher of the Week
May 2 — Anna Gernant, Calvin College, Jr., RHP, West Des Moines, Iowa
April 25 — Alanna Namit, The College of New Jersey, Fr., RHP, Mountainside, N.J.
April 18 — Jazmyn Rohrer, Westminster College (Pa.), Sr., RHP, Purcellville, Va.
April 11 — Jacqueline Spizizen, Emory University, Fr., RHP, West Bloomfield, Mich.
April 4 — Hanna Hull, Virginia Wesleyan University, So., LHP, Chesterfield, Va.
March 28 — Sydney Jones, Hope College, Sr., RHP, South Lyon, Mich.
March 21 — Jesse DeDomenico, Rowan University, So., RHP, East Windsor, N.J.
March 14 — Alanna Namit, The College of New Jersey, Fr., RHP, Mountainside, N.J.
March 7 — Hanna Hull, Virginia Wesleyan University, So., LHP, Chesterfield, Va.
Feb. 28 — Hanna Hull, Virginia Wesleyan University, So., LHP, Chesterfield, Va.
2018 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week
May 2 — Leah Andrews, Christopher Newport University, Sr., OF, Newport News, Va.
April 25 — Rachael Payne, Christopher Newport University, Sr., SS, Stafford, Va.
April 18 — Anna Dunn, Centenary College (La.), Sr., RF, Shreveport, La.
April 11 — Madison East, University of Pittsburgh-Bradford, So., CF, Milton, Pa.
April 4 — Grace Stock, Calvin College, Fr., C, Vicksburg, Mich.
March 28 — Laurren Ladwig, Manchester University, Sr., 2B, Crown Point, Ind.
March 21 — Morgan Arst, East Texas Baptist University, So., LF, Marshall, Texas
March 14 — Vada Blue Sherrill, Pfeiffer University, Jr., SS, Hiddenite, N.C.
March 7 — Amy Large, Virginia Wesleyan University, Sr., OF, Kennett Square, Pa.
Feb. 28 — Vada Blue Sherrill, Pfeiffer University, Jr., SS, Hiddenite, N.C.