Weekly Award Winners: Allen, Tinsley, Groff Earn Player of the Week Honors
Top StoriesPlayer of the Week: Peyton Allen, Colorado State
No player in the nation had a better performance than Allen did at the plate this week; it simply isn’t possible. The 5th-year senior was perfect at the plate, helping lead her team in a 30-run offensive explosion against San Jose State. Though she was just 4-4 at the plate, Allen reached base in all nine of her plate appearances on the weekend. Batting third in game one, Allen was 1-1 at the plate, but she made that one hit count, knocking a 3-run home run that capped the CSU scoring. She also worked three walks and scored every time she was on base, totaling four runs. In game two, Allen started the CSU scoring with a 2-run single in the first inning, then added an RBI triple in the second and another RBI single in the fourth. She finished that game 3-3 at the plate, with six RBIs and three runs scored; she also stole a base and was hit by a pitch.
Pitcher of the Week: Taylor Tinsley, UCLA
Tinsley was a rock in the circle for the Bruins, leading the squad to a series sweep on the road at Stanford. The sophomore earned the win in all three games against the Cardinal, throwing 15.2 innings of work without allowing a run. She held Stanford to seven hits across the three games and struck out 20. In game one, Tinsley threw all nine innings and set a career high with 15 strikeouts. She entered in relief in each of the next two games and held off the Cardinal threat both times; notably, Stanford’s hitters were 0-17 with runners in scoring position when Tinsley was in the circle.
Freshman of the Week: Maddia Groff, Southern Illinois
SIU’s rookie hurler continued her impressive freshman year in a series against Belmont. Groff earned a pair of wins and a save on the weekend, buoying her team to a series sweep. In game one of the series, Groff threw a complete game shutout, allowing just five hits in seven scoreless innings. She struck out eight and did not allowed a free pass. Entering in relief in game two, Groff threw a perfect frame, notching three consecutive outs to earn her second save of the season. In the series finale, Groff again threw a complete game shutout, this time allowing just one hit and striking out fourteen to earn her 23rd win of the year. The game three performance was the fourth time this season that Groff reached double-digits in strikeouts.