Ladyjacks' Corona and Kriesel Sweep Weekly Softball Honors
FRISCO, Texas – Stephen F. Austin's Margarita Corona and Ashley Kriesel are the Southland Conference Softball Players of the Week, the league announced Monday. Southland Players of the Week are presented by
MidSouthBank.com.
Corona drove in six RBI on nine hits, helping Stephen F. Austin (33-17, 17-7 SLC) to a perfect 4-0 record last week. The senior claimed a .750 batting average to go along with a 1.083 slugging percentage. Corona was perfect in her opening two games, hitting 3-for-3 in an 8-2 win over Louisiana-Monroe before following up with a 4-for-4 performance from the plate in a 6-3 game one victory against Northwestern State. She capped the weekend with a two-run home run that boosted the Ladyjacks to a 5-1 win over Northwestern State Saturday afternoon, completing SFA's third Southland series sweep of the season.
Kriesel delivered 11 strikeouts last week to go along with a save and a 1-0 record for the Ladyjacks. The junior righty allowed just three runs on 13.1 innings pitched, limiting her opponents to a .235 batting average. Kriesel dealt a complete-game victory in game two against Northwestern State where she allowed one run.
The awards mark the first of the season for both Corona and Kriesel.
Softball Hitter of the Week – Margarita Corona, Stephen F. Austin – 1B – Sr. – Tucson, Ariz.
Corona tallied nine hits in 12 plate appearances, including clubbing her 12th home run for an SFA single-season program record. After going 3-for-3 and being walked once in SFA's non-conference finale Wednesday at ULM, Corona hit an RBI single in the top of the seventh to give the Ladyjacks a 7-2 lead.
She then went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI in the series opener against Northwestern State, stroking a pair of RBI doubles in the bottom of the fifth. Corona added an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to increase the Ladyjacks' advantage to 5-2.
The senior wrapped up her weekend with a 1-for-2, two RBI, performance in game three of the series. Corona crushed a full-count pitch in her first plate appearance of game three for her 12th home run of the season. Her two-run bomb over the left field fence tying the program's single-season home run record.
Honorable Mention: Megan McDonald, Sam Houston State; Samantha Bradley, Abilene Christian; Kali Clement, Nicholls.
Softball Pitcher of the Week – Ashley Kriesel, Stephen F. Austin – Jr. – Houston, Texas
Kriesel had an outstanding week inside the circle for the Ladyjacks, picking up her second save of the season by appearing in 1.1 innings of relief to help SFA close out an 8-2 win at ULM Wednesday. Coming in with bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, Kriesel retired four straight batters.
She earned her eighth complete game victory of the season in game two of a Friday against Northwestern State, striking out seven of 29 batters faced and allowing just one run. Kriesel capped the weekend, pitching five complete innings with three strikeouts and no walks against NSU.
Honorable Mention: Lindsey McLeod, Sam Houston State; Rio Sanchez, Central Arkansas; Emily Danehower, Nicholls; Shelby Sitzman, Southeastern Louisiana.
Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school's sports information director. Voting for one's own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on at least 25 percent of ballots.