Perfect Week Lands SXU's O'Connor, Antkiewicz Honors

CHICAGO --- Leading their team to a perfect 6-0 conference week, Mallory O'Connor (Bourbonnais, Ill.) and Payton Antkiewicz (Dyer, Ind.) created a second sweep of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference softball weekly honors for Saint Xavier University when the league office made the announcement on Tuesday morning.

O'Connor slashed .444/.458/.611 in the six games to garner CCAC Player of the Week recognition.  She hit safely in all six contests, while registering at least one run batted in in five of the affairs.  All told, the junior first baseman recorded eight hits (three doubles), 12 RBIs and three runs scored.

O'Connor authored three runs batted in in a 12-2 first-game victory over Indiana University South Bend on Thursday as well as both wins on Saturday versus Calumet College of St. Joseph.  Her multi-hit contests (two hits each) were in the second game of the IUSB and CCSJ affairs.

Antkiewicz allowed just two earned runs over 19 innings and recorded the first two shutouts of her collegiate career during the seven-day period ending April 6 to earn CCAC Pitcher of the Week honors.  She went 3-0 with a 0.74 earned run average and a 0.79 WHIP.

Over her 19 innings in the circle, Antkiewicz permitted just nine hits, while striking out 12 batters against six walks.

The freshman hurler registered her blankings in 11-0 and 10-0 decisions over University of St. Francis and Indiana University South Bend last Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.  In the win over St. Francis, she allowed two hits and three walks opposite four strikeouts in five innings.  Against Indiana South Bend, she went the full seven innings and yielded only three hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

Antkiewicz's other win came on Saturday in an 8-2 decision over Calumet St. Joseph, where she allowed four hits and one walk opposite six strikeouts.   

Winners of nine in a row, including the six to start league play this past week, Saint Xavier is 23-6 overall.

Other Player Nominees: Mady Reed (St. Ambrose), Tiffanie Brieno (Calumet St. Joseph), Kylie Cook (St. Francis), Anna Lisa Fluder (Trinity Christian), Megan Jardine (Viterbo).

Other Pitcher Nominees: Morgan Fuhrer (Viterbo), Katie Lorscheider (Trinity Christian), Kylee Slack (Calumet St. Joseph).