Perfect 4-0 Week Nets Sweep of Softball Weekly Honors For St. Francis

CHICAGO --- University of St. Francis' Kiersten Manning (Bloomington, Ill.) claimed her third Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week award, while teammate Jaelynn Taylor (Bolingbrook, Ill.) secured her first league Player of the Week recognition, it was announced by the CCAC office on Tuesday.  The honors were for the seven-day period ending April 13.

Manning went 2-0 on the week and yielded just two earned runs in her 14 innings of work for a 1.00 earned run average.  She also averaged one strikeout per inning pitched (14 total) and scattered 11 hits with six walks. 

The senior right-hander went the distance in each of her two wins, a seven-inning 5-2 nod over Indiana University South Bend on Saturday and a six-inning 9-1 decision over Calumet College of St. Joseph on Sunday.  In both outings, Manning struck out seven batters.

She also tossed one inning of scoreless relief in the second game against Indiana South Bend, a 10-4 win.

Manning helped herself out offensively, as well, going 4-for-7 at the plate with four runs batted in as the designated hitter in the back end of both doubleheaders.  She had two hits in each game and drove in three in the Calumet St. Joseph 6-2 victory.

Taylor, meanwhile, was unstoppable at the plate, getting multiple hits in each of her four contests and driving in one run in each of the four affairs.  She finished the week going 10-for-15 (.667) with seven runs scored.

The junior catcher/first baseman went 5-for-8 with a triple in the two-game sweep of Indiana South Bend on Saturday before collecting another five hits in seven trips to the plate in the two victories over Calumet St. Joseph on Sunday.  Among Taylor's hits on Sunday was a solo home run.

In the second game of each twinbill, Taylor boasted three hits, including a perfect 3-for-3 game versus Calumet St. Joseph.  She also made good on each of her 16 chances defensively, 15 of which were putouts.

St. Francis moved to 8-2 in league play and 13-14 overall with its perfect 4-0 week.

Other Player Nominees: Marissa Carter-Olson (Viterbo), Tatyana Chavez (Judson), Erianna Claudio (Trinity Christian), Haley Matlock (Saint Xavier), Kira Pride (Calumet St. Joseph), Allie Timm (Olivet Nazarene).

Other Pitcher Nominees: Ally Sims (Calumet St. Joseph), Payton Antkiewicz (Saint Xavier), Morgan Fuhrer (Viterbo), Katherine Hrinda (Judson), Leah Maro (St. Ambrose), Allie Timm (Olivet Nazarene).