Ohio Valley Conference

SEMO's Michelle Summers

JSU's Carly Kellam

OVC Players of the Week - March 13

PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Michelle Summers, 3B, So., Glendale, Calif. - Southeast Missouri
Summers hit .542 with five RBI, three doubles and two home runs as Southeast Missouri went 3-3 last week. She recorded her second first-inning leadoff home run of the season against Southern Illinois to finish the game 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Against IUPUI, Summers helped spark a come-from behind win and 14-run seventh inning finishing the game 6-for-6 with three RBI and two runs scored. In game one of a doubleheader with Northern Iowa, she went 2-for-4 with her team-leading fourth home run of the season.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
Carly Kellam, P, Sr., 5'6, Satellite Beach, Fla. - Jacksonville State
Kellam made two starts in the circle last week and recorded two complete games and one shutout. She finished the week with a 0.50 ERA in 14.0 innings of action. Kellam fanned nine in a two-hit shutout against Lipscomb to finish with 12 strikeouts on the week. She held opponents to a .165 batting average over the two games.

2006 OVC Softball Team Notes

AUSTIN PEAY (5-9-2 overall, 0-0 OVC): Austin Peay went 1-3-1 last week with its lone win coming against Western Kentucky (3-2). Senior Brianna Venable added to her home run total last week, hitting four over the five games. Her eight home runs for the year already ranks fourth on the school's single-season list. Megan Brooks, a senior transfer from Kentucky, hit her first homer as a Lady Gov, a two-run walk-off shot against WKU. Junior Ami Bush hit .429 for the week, going 6-of-14. Junior pitcher Natasha Anderson had a solid week in the circle, but had little to show for it in the won-loss column. She finished the week with a 1.27 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 22 innings of work, but her only decision was the win against Western Kentucky. Austin Peay will host Kentucky Wesleyan on Wednesday and Evansville on Thursday. The Lady Govs open up Conference play at home with Southeast Missouri on Saturday and Sunday.

EASTERN ILLINOIS (11-8-1 overall, 0-0 OVC): Eastern Illinois went 3-1 over the weekend at the Rebel Games, picking up wins over Valparaiso (2-1), Columbia (1-0) and Yale (2-0). Freshman Kathleen Jacoby and sophomore Karyn Mackie both picked up shutouts over the weekend. Jacoby also earned the victory over Valparaiso to finish the week with two wins and six strikeouts. Sophomore Robyn Mackie recorded her first three-hit game of the year against Valparaiso. The Panthers have now won five of their last six games. Eastern Illinois will continue play at the Rebel Games, facing Fairleigh Dickinson and Iona on Tuesday and Lafayette and Binghamton on Wednesday. EIU rounds out the week opening Conference play at UT Martin on Saturday and Sunday.

EASTERN KENTUCKY (10-9 overall, 0-0 OVC): Eastern Kentucky fell to Kentucky, 8-2, before going 4-1 at the Winthrop adidas Tournament last week. The Colonels recorded wins over College of Charleston (8-7), South Carolina State (11-0), Ohio (4-0) and Western Carolina (4-3) to win the Silver Division Championship at the tourney. Sophomore Chanze Patterson hit .316 over the six games, including going 2-for-4 versus South Carolina State. She finished the week with six RBI and was 8-for-8 in the stolen base department. Freshman Kalyn Fox posted a 2-1 record with a 0.74 earned run average in four appearances. Fox also recorded her first career shutout in the 11-0 win over South Carolina State. EKU will travel to South Carolina on Wednesday and East Tennessee State on Thursday before returning home to open up Conference play on Sunday with Samford.

JACKSONVILLE STATE (18-5 overall, 0-0 OVC): Jacksonville State swept doubleheaders with Chattanooga (3-1, 7-2) and Lipscomb (3-0, 6-2) last week. At 18-5, the Gamecocks are off to their best start since joining the OVC three years ago. Senior Maigin Alexander hit .364 with one double, three home runs and six RBI. Alexander tied a school single-game record with two home runs versus Chattanooga. Senior Carly Kellam made two starts in the circle and recorded two complete games and one shutout. She finished the week with a 0.50 earned run average and 12 strikeouts. Jacksonville state will host UAB on Wednesday before welcoming Tennessee State on Saturday and Sunday to open up league play.

MOREHEAD STATE (6-12 overall, 0-0 OVC): Morehead State dropped all four games at the Charlotte 49er Invitational. Sophomore Brandy Bucher led the Eagles at the plate, hitting .417 with three doubles and her first career home run. Freshman Bri Jones hit .357 with a team-best three runs scored along with a stolen base. Sophomore pitcher Kari Quinn went 0-2 but recorded 14 strikeouts in 13.0 innings in the circle. The Eagles begin a 12-game home stand on Thursday when they host Seina. Morehead State also opens up Conference play this weekend when it welcomes Tennessee Tech for a three-game series.

SAMFORD (8-21 overall, 0-0 OVC): Samford fell to No. 20 Auburn, 1-0, before going 2-3 in its own Bulldog Bash last week. Both of the Bulldogs' wins game against Saint Louis (3-2, 3-2). Junior Liz Pearse was named to the all-tournament team after batting .538 with six RBI. Samford has dropped eight one-run games so far this season, including three last week. The Bulldogs will open up Conference play at Eastern Kentucky on Sunday.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI (7-7 overall, 0-0 OVC): Southeast Missouri dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Southern Illinois (4-0, 8-4) before going 3-1 in its own Redhawks Round-Robin last week, defeating IUPUI (18-7) and Northern Iowa twice (9-3, 5-4). Trailing by three heading into the final inning, the Redhawks exploded for 14 runs on 13 hits to record the 18-7 victory over IUPUI. Head coach Lana Richmond recorded her 700th career victory with the 9-3 win over Northern Iowa. Sophomore Michelle Summers hit .542 over the six games with five RBI, three doubles and two home runs. She recorded her second first-inning leadoff home run of the season against Southern Illinois. Jenn Monaghan batted .409 with two home runs and six RBI while Stephanie Huffman hit .353 with one homer and nine RBI. Southeast Missouri will open up league play with a three-game series at Austin Peay this weekend.

UT MARTIN (10-9-1 overall, 0-0 OVC): UT Martin picked up wins over Dayton (5-1) and Colgate (3-2) to open up play in the Rebel Games. Junior Holly Templeton pitched a two-hitter against Dayton, giving up one run in seven innings. Against Colgate, the Skyhawks rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out asJustin Pineda tripled to plate Brandy Whalen and Jennifer Young who both reached on singles. Ashley Myatt picked up the win, pitching 2.1 innings and striking out two. UT Martin will continue play at the Rebel Games over the next three days, facing Wagner (Monday), Army (Monday), Maine (Tuesday), George Washington (Tuesday), Butler (Wednesday) and Fairleigh Dickinson (Wednesday). The Skyhawks open Conference play this weekend with three-game series at home against Eastern Illinois.

TENNESSEE STATE (10-10 overall, 0-0 OVC): Tennessee State went 4-4 at the Rebel Games, picking up wins over Holy Cross (7-1), Maine (3-0), Creighton (3-2) and IPFW (4-3). Senior Nira Robbins batted .352 for the week and currently has a nine-game hit streak. Against Creighton, Leena Worrell hit a two-run home run while Lauren Webber limited the Lady Jays to just three hits. Junior Candace Hildebrand tossed a shutout victory against Maine. For the week, Hildebrand posted a 0.69 ERA while striking out eight batters. Samantha Hurst picked up two of TSU's four wins. Tennessee State will host Jackson State on Thursday before traveling to Jacksonville State to open up Conference play on Saturday and Sunday.

TENNESSEE TECH (16-7 overall, 0-0 OVC): Tennessee Tech went 4-3 in the USF-adidas Tournament last week. The Golden Eagles recorded wins over Northern Illinois (3-2), Purdue (1-0), Villanova (1-0) and Coastal Carolina (4-3). Junior Bonnie Bynum went 2-1 at the tourney, posting a 1.09 ERA in 19.1 innings of work. Freshman Danielle Wallace was named to the 11-player all-tournament team after recording a .250 average with two RBI and one home run. Steph Fischer continues to lead the Golden Eagle offense, posting a .353 batting average and 14 RBI, but she was under a slight drought at the adidas Tournament, going 4-for-23 with one RBI. Tech returns home to host IUPUI on Wednesday before beginning league play at Morehead State this weekend.