USF's Saldana, SXU's Strand Secure Softball Weekly Accord For Second Time This Season

CHICAGO --- University of St. Francis' Missy Saldana (Glendale Heights, Ill.) and Saint Xavier University's Lily Strand (Evergreen Park, Ill.) each earned their second Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference weekly softball recognition of the season, the league office announced on Tuesday.

Saldana made it back-to-back CCAC Player of the Week honors after driving in nearly one-third of USF's runs last week and batting .462 over three games.  Four of her seven RBIs came on one swing of the bat, delivering a grand slam in a 4-3 first-game victory over Trinity Christian College on Saturday. 

The freshman outfielder/third baseman opened the three-game series on Friday with three hits in five at-bats in a 13-3 triumph.  Her other numbers in that contest included two runs batted in, another two scored and one double.

Among Saldana's six hits, three went for extra bases – two doubles and a home run – leading to an .846 slugging percentage from the leadoff spot.

USF's 3-0 week to start the conference season moved the Fighting Saints to 17-7 overall.

Strand earned her second honor in the circle after registering two of Saint Xavier's three wins last week.  In nine innings of work, she posted 11 strikeouts, while yielding just three hits and four walks, leading to a 2.33 earned run average.

The junior hurler recorded eight of her 15 outs on strikeouts in a 12-3 win over Judson on Friday.  In that same game, she allowed just two hits.

One day later, Strand permitted only one hit over four innings in a 9-1 victory over the Eagles.

Saint Xavier also started the CCAC season at 3-0, while upping its overall mark to 14-9.

Other Player Nominees: Gwen Bender (Olivet Nazarene), Becca Haag (St. Ambrose), Ava Anderson (Viterbo), Ella Chelminiak (Indiana South Bend), Haley Matlock (Saint Xavier), Madelynn Petty (Judson).

Other Pitcher Nominees: Savannah Hamilton (Indiana South Bend), Victoria Jenson (Calumet St. Joseph), Kaitlyn Schofield (St. Francis), Alexis Watson (Viterbo).