Softball

HCAC 2024 Softball Notebook, Week 3

CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) softball teams competed in week three of the 2024 season.
 
Around the League:
HCAC Softball Schedule
 
Athletes of the Week:
Hitting Athlete of the Week:
Bo Shelton (Anderson, Ind.) Earlham College | Infield | First Year - Bo Shelton lit up the bats in the first softball game for Earlham in over 30 years. Shelton began game one of a doubleheader against Olivet with a two-run homer to straight center field in the bottom of the first inning. On the day, Shelton batted .667 with four hits, five runs scored, and three RBI with a 1.167 slugging percentage.
Pitching Athlete of the Week:
Morgan Cooksey (Williamsport, Ind.) Earlham College | Pitcher | First Year - Morgan Cooksey threw a complete game win against Olivet on Saturday. Cooksey did not allow a single earned run, and held the Comets to just three hits. The freshman also recorded 15 strikeouts in her first taste of collegiate action.

Notable Performances:
  • Kaylee Grant  (Lima, Ohio) Bluffton University | Short Stop | Sophomore - Grant hit .400 (2-of-5) with a triple and slugged .800 with 2 walks and a .571 slugging percentage as the Beavers went 0-2 at The Spring Games in Florida.
  • Kendall Lowry (Lima, Ohio) Franklin College | Short Stop | Sophomore - Reached base in all six at-bats for Franklin in their Saturday afternoon sweep of Wilmington College…went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, three RBI and her first career home run in game one's 13-5 win…went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles and a run scored in game two as Franklin coming back to win game two, 10-7.
  • Haley Kiefner (Indianapolis, Ind.) Hanover College | Catcher/Outfield | First Year - Haley appeared in all six games for the Panthers as she posted a .583 batting average. She finished with seven hits on 12 at-bats, including a double and four RBI. She also had success on the bases recording two stolen bases on three attempts.
  • Lauren Beaman (Seymour, Ind.) Hanover College | Pitcher | Sophomore - Lauren got four starts for the Blue and Red, appearing in all six games. She threw three complete games charting 12 strikeouts through 27 complete innings. Lauren finished the week with a 5.31 ERA. She was also a force at the plate posting a .444 batting average with eight hits, three doubles and a homerun. Lauren posted a team-high seven RBI on the week.
  • Kaitlyn Carr (Valparaiso, Ind.) Manchester University | Pitcher/Utility | Junior - Kaitlyn Carr helped lead the Black and Gold to two big wins against Berea on Saturday. The junior hit .600 with four RBI and two doubles, finishing the weekend with a .800 slugging percentage.
  • Lizzy Willis (Yorktown, Ind.) Manchester University | Pitcher | First Year - Lizzy Willis earned her first collegiate win on the mound in game two of the Spartans' season opener against Berea on Saturday. The first-year allowed only two hits in 4.0 innings pitched, striking out 8 of the 15 batters she faced. She also went 2-2 at the plate, scoring four of Manchester's 21 runs on the day.
  • Maddie Kennedy (Erlanger, Ky.) Mount St. Joseph University | Outfielder | Junior - Junior outfielder Maddie Kennedy helped the Lions to a 2-2 weekend at Huntingdon. She led the team going 6-for-13 (.462), with 5 RBIs, 2 doubles, a grandslam, three runs scored and a stolen base.
  • Casey Kemp (Blanchester, Ohio) Mount St. Joseph University | Pitcher | Senior - Senior pitcher Casey Kemp went 1-1 on the weekend for the Lions, pitching 13.0 innings, allowing 4 earned runs (2.15 ERA), allowing 11 hits while striking out 6.
  • Aubrey Smith (Lebanon, Ohio) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Pitcher | First Year - Smith ended the week with a 1.025 OPS to lead the Fightin' Engineers at the plate in Florida. She totaled 11 hits, 7 RBIs, and 6 runs scored en route to a .355 batting average, .444 on-base percentage, and .581 slugging percentage. She also led the team with 5 extra-base hits with 3 doubles and 2 triples in 10 games.
  • Phoebe Wortsell (Bicknell, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Pitcher | Junior - Worstell led the team on the mound with a 2.66 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in her five starts in Florida. She finished the week with a 3-2 record and 13 strikeouts as opponents hit just .226 against her. She ended her week with a complete game, 2-hit shutout win over Grove City with 5 strikeouts on Friday.
  • Izzy Story (Paducah, Ky.) Transylvania University | Utility | First Year - Izzy finished the weekend with 5 hits, and 5 RBI's while helping her team finish 3-1 on the weekend. In the 4-5 vs. Linfield, she was 2-2 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI's.
  • Carlee Jeter (Lexington, Ky.) Transylvania University | Pitcher | Senior - Jeter pitched 13 innings this past weekend in the NFCA Leadoff Classic, earning a win. In the 9-4 win vs Piedmont, she threw 7 innings, giving up just two hits and one run.



Looking Forward:
HCAC Softball Standings