LSC Honors Top 4 Softball Players
By: Melanie Robotham, LSC Assistant Commissioner
Updated: March 20, 2012
Angelo State remained undefeated in Lone Star Conference play with its third straight sweep to improve to 25-3 overall and 9-0 in the LSC. Tarleton State is right behind them with just one loss for an 8-1 league record.
LSC teams are playing a single round-robin schedule with a three-game series against every other team. Each series consists of a doubleheader one day and single 7-inning game the other day.
The overall LSC Champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in regular-season conference games, while the winner of the postseason championship will be recognized as LSC Tournament Champion and receive the league's automatic qualification into the NCAA postseason. The single-elimination championship will be played April 27-28 in Denton, Texas.
LSC softball teams are 165-112 overall this season. In the NCAA South Central Region, the LSC is currently 85-50 overall including 46-22 combined versus Heartland Conference teams, 17-9 opposed to the Great American Conference, 19-13 against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and 3-6 versus independent teams.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTER
Katie Welborn, Tarleton State University, SR, INF, North Richland Hills, Texas, Birdville HS
Welborn was a force at the plate all week for the Tarleton TexAnns, who split a doubleheader with St. Mary's and won their third straight conference series with a 2-1 series victory over Abilene Christian. Welborn had 12 official at-bats in five games last week and recorded hits in nine of the them for a .750 batting average. The senior slugger belted five home runs, including two in the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader against ACU. She slugged 2.167, had 26 total bases and drove in eight RBIs while being pitched around to the tune of eight walks - including four intentional passes in Saturday's game against ACU.
PITCHERS
Briana Sanchez, University of the Incarnate Word, JR, RHP, San Antonio, Texas, Marshall HS
The Cardinals went 5-0 during the week and Sanchez won three of those games. She allowed but two runs over her 18 innings pitched with two complete games including a 5-inning run rule. In her third and final start she worked six scoreless innings before giving way to a relief pitcher in the final frame. Sanchez averaged a strikeout per inning with 18 strikeouts. She posted a .078 ERA and .095 batting average against for the week to improve to 10-4 this season.
Claire Molina, Angelo State University, SR, Pitcher, San Bernardino, Calif., Colton HS
Against one of the top offensive teams in the conference, Molina held Midwestern State to a .122 team batting average, allowing just six hits in 14.0 innings pitched. The senior threw a two-hit, complete-game shutout in Game 2 of the series. She struck out seven en route to a 5-0 victory. The San Bernardino, Calif., native toed the rubber on Sunday for the final game of the series were she recorded eight strikeouts and held the Mustangs to just four hits in the Belles 7-4 victory. Molina is now 14-2 on the season, which is the most wins by any players in the LSC.
LSC teams are playing a single round-robin schedule with a three-game series against every other team. Each series consists of a doubleheader one day and single 7-inning game the other day.
The overall LSC Champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in regular-season conference games, while the winner of the postseason championship will be recognized as LSC Tournament Champion and receive the league's automatic qualification into the NCAA postseason. The single-elimination championship will be played April 27-28 in Denton, Texas.
LSC softball teams are 165-112 overall this season. In the NCAA South Central Region, the LSC is currently 85-50 overall including 46-22 combined versus Heartland Conference teams, 17-9 opposed to the Great American Conference, 19-13 against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and 3-6 versus independent teams.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTER
Katie Welborn, Tarleton State University, SR, INF, North Richland Hills, Texas, Birdville HS
Welborn was a force at the plate all week for the Tarleton TexAnns, who split a doubleheader with St. Mary's and won their third straight conference series with a 2-1 series victory over Abilene Christian. Welborn had 12 official at-bats in five games last week and recorded hits in nine of the them for a .750 batting average. The senior slugger belted five home runs, including two in the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader against ACU. She slugged 2.167, had 26 total bases and drove in eight RBIs while being pitched around to the tune of eight walks - including four intentional passes in Saturday's game against ACU.
PITCHERS
Briana Sanchez, University of the Incarnate Word, JR, RHP, San Antonio, Texas, Marshall HS
The Cardinals went 5-0 during the week and Sanchez won three of those games. She allowed but two runs over her 18 innings pitched with two complete games including a 5-inning run rule. In her third and final start she worked six scoreless innings before giving way to a relief pitcher in the final frame. Sanchez averaged a strikeout per inning with 18 strikeouts. She posted a .078 ERA and .095 batting average against for the week to improve to 10-4 this season.
Claire Molina, Angelo State University, SR, Pitcher, San Bernardino, Calif., Colton HS
Against one of the top offensive teams in the conference, Molina held Midwestern State to a .122 team batting average, allowing just six hits in 14.0 innings pitched. The senior threw a two-hit, complete-game shutout in Game 2 of the series. She struck out seven en route to a 5-0 victory. The San Bernardino, Calif., native toed the rubber on Sunday for the final game of the series were she recorded eight strikeouts and held the Mustangs to just four hits in the Belles 7-4 victory. Molina is now 14-2 on the season, which is the most wins by any players in the LSC.
