Horizon League Softball Release #11
April 21, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Cleveland State University sophomore outfielder Jessica Burt was tabbed Player of the Week and Loyola University Chicago sophomore right-hander Amy Solava earned Pitcher of the Week. Burt received the weekly honor for the first time in her career, while Solava captured the League's weekly pitcher award for the third time.
Player of the Week
Jessica Burt, Cleveland State
So. * OF * LaGrange, Ohio
Burt helped the Vikings to a 5-2 week by hitting .476 (10-21) with five runs, three doubles, two home runs and four RBI. The CSU sophomore began the week going 0-for-3 in the first game of a doubleheader at Youngstown State, but came back to go 3-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI to help CSU to a 6-2 victory in game two. She then went 4-for-7 with two runs and two RBI, including a two-run homer as CSU split a pair of games with St. Francis at home. Burt finished the week by going 4-for-8 with two runs and an RBI as CSU took two of three games at UIC over the weekend.
Pitcher of the Week
Amy Solava, Loyola
So. * RHP * New Lenox, Ill.
Solava went 3-0 with a 1.45 earned run average and 17 strikeouts in 29.0 innings last week. The sophomore right-hander has won her last five games. Solava began the week by yielding only two hits and striking out five in a relief appearance versus No. 20/25 DePaul. In a 2-1 victory over UIC on Tuesday, Solava scattered four hits and struck out a pair while allowing just two earned runs. Against Wright State, the Illinois native helped the Ramblers to a 6-3 triumph after she worked 11.0 innings and matched a season-high with eight strikeouts. Solava concluded the week in the series finale against WSU, working seven innings to earn the win.
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending April 20
Amy Hyerczyk, Butler
Sr. * 1B * Palos Park, Ill.
Hyerczyk hit safely in six of seven games last week and batted .391 on the week with nine hits in 23 trips to the plate. She had a .481 on-base percentage for the week. She hit her fifth and sixth doubles of the season, boosting her Butler career record for doubles to 47. She also handled 43 chances in the field without an error, raising her season fielding average to .991.
Amanda Macenko, Cleveland State
So. * RHP * Brunswick, Ohio
Macenko went 5-1 with a 2.20 earned run average to help the Vikings go 5-2. She started six of the seven games she appeared in and finished the week with six complete games and 35 innings pitched. In addition, she struck out 30 batters and walked just eight. Macenko is now 18-9 this season with a 1.50 ERA and 181 strikeouts.
Breana Sesoko, Detroit
Fr. * OF * Anaheim Hills, Calif.
Sesoko hit her first collegiate home run and drove in four runs over the weekend as Detroit swept its three-game series with Green Bay. Sesoko went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a home run in the nightcap on Saturday as Detroit won 8-5. Sesoko also threw out the potential tying run from center field in the top of the fifth to preserve a 1-0 lead in game one.
Kelli Short, Detroit
Sr. * RHP * Toledo, Ohio
Short won a pair of League games against Green Bay. The Ohio native allowed five hits and struck out five in shutting out the Phoenix in the opener. Short then took a no-hitter into the fifth inning in Sunday's finale as she limited Green Bay to one run on two hits with eight strikeouts. Short's shutout was her second of the season as she improved to 5-10 on the year.
Samantha Howe, Green Bay
Fr. * INF * Union Grove, Wis.
Howe posted a .500 batting average last week as she went 3-for-6 at the plate. The Wisconsin native also had one RBI.
Anna Bluemel, Green Bay
Sr. * RHP * Wind Lake, Wis.
Bluemel went 0-2 this past weekend as she allowed just three runs on eight hits over two starts (12.0 innings). For the week, Bluemel posted a 1.75 earned run average and limited opponents to just a .211 batting average.
Kat Krause, Loyola
Sr. * UTL * Arlington Heights, Ill.
Krause batted .300 (6-for-20) with three runs, two doubles, a home run, three RBI and a stolen base last week as Loyola posted a 4-2 record. The senior went 3-for-4 and drove in the game-winning run with a double in the top of the seventh inning in a 3-2 victory at Wright State on Sunday.
Sarah Clynes, UIC
Jr. * P/DP * Florissant, Mo.
Clynes batted .600 (9-for-15) with four runs, one double, five runs and two home runs for the week. The Missouri native owned a 1.067 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage in five games.
Whitney Orellana, UIC
Fr. * RHP * Vista, Calif.
Orellana recorded a 1-1 mark with 16 strikeouts in League action last week. The UIC freshman fanned a season-high 10 batters in her second shutout of the season in a 3-0 triumph over Loyola in game two on Wednesday. Orellana allowed just three hits in 7.0 innings of work. Orellana then totaled five strikeouts in 4.1 innings in game two versus Cleveland State on April 19.
Shannon Robinson, Valparaiso
Sr. * C * Toronto, Ontario
Robinson batted .500 in a doubleheader split with Purdue to raise season her average to a team-best .339. The Valpo catcher scored the first run of the game in nightcap against Boilermakers and added insurance run in eighth inning. She also registered her ninth double of season, giving her 36 career two-baggers which is the second-most in Valpo history and just two shy of the record
Andrea Zappia, Valparaiso
Sr. * RHP * Indianapolis, Ind.
Zappia registered all but one out in Valpo's 4-1 victory over Purdue. The Valpo senior held the Boilermakers to just four hits and lowered her season earned run average to 1.93 as she tallied her 13th win of the season. Zappia's 13 victories are tied for the third-most in a single year in school history.
Jherica Williams, Wright State
Sr. * C/OF * Piqua, Ohio
Williams posted a .455 batting average, 10 hits, two doubles, one home run and five RBI last week. The Ohio native hit safely in six of seven games and has now hit safely in 31 of her last 32 games.
Kristen McDonnell, Youngstown State
Jr. * C * Keizer, Ore.
McDonnell led the Penguins with a .533 batting average with three home runs and 10 RBI. McDonnell tied a single-game record with two home runs and drove in five runs against Robert Morris on Thursday. Against Butler, McDonnell went 3-for-3 with a two run home run and five RBI.
Cheryl Cale, Youngstown State
So. * RHP * Columbus, Ohio
Cale went 2-0 with a 0.81 ERA last week. Cale tallied her first career shutout with a three-hitter against Butler on Saturday. She also struck out six. On Sunday, Cale pitched 4.1 innings of relief to pick up her second victory of the week.
News From Around the League
Butler
The Bulldogs (16-23 overall, 5-8 Horizon League) went 2-5 last week.
Butler opened the week with a pair of road non-League losses to Indiana State on Wednesday. The Bulldogs then split a pair of games with Wright State on Thursday. BU closed out the week dropping two of three to Youngstown State over the weekend.
Senior Jenny Jacobs hit her 24th career home run to help Butler defeat Youngstown State, 5-4, in the first game of a doubleheader on the road. Jacobs' 24 home runs are a Butler career record.
Senior Amy Hyerczyk had a nine-game hitting streak snapped in the second game of Butler's doubleheader at Youngstown State. She started over with two hits in the final game of the three-game series.
Freshman Lauren Ott picked up her first career save by retiring the final two batters in Butler's 5-4 win at Youngstown State. Sophomore Jennifer Chasteen, who pitched the first six and third innings in the game, picked up her first victory of the season for the Bulldogs.
Butler returns to action on Tuesday as it travels to Valparaiso. The Bulldogs will then close out the week with a three-game series on the road at Green Bay.
Cleveland State
The Vikings (23-11 overall, 10-3 Horizon League) went 5-2 last week with four of its victories coming against League opponents.
CSU began the week with a doubleheader sweep of Youngstown State on Tuesday. The Vikings then split a pair of games with Saint Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday. Cleveland State then closed out the week by taking two of three from UIC over the weekend.
With two wins at UIC over the weekend, head coach Angie Nicholson has now won 99 games as a Division I head coach. She has a career record of 193-136 in eight seasons as a head coach, including a 99-72 mark as a Division I head coach.
Sophomore right-hander Amanda Macenko has won 44 games in just under two seasons at CSU. Her 44 wins rank third all-time in school history, trailing Grace Luginbuhl's 59 wins and Amy Kyler's 68 career victories.
The Vikings are a perfect 14-0 when leading after five innings this season and 16-0 when leading after six innings. In addition, CSU has outscored its opposition 23-3 in the seventh inning this season.
Cleveland State takes on IPFW in a doubleheader on Tuesday. On Wednesday the Vikings welcome Toledo for a pair of games and then close out the week with a three-game series at Loyola.
Detroit
The Titans (10-20 overall, 4-7 Horizon League) went 3-2 last week with a three-game weekend sweep over Green Bay at home.
Detroit captured its first season sweep of a Horizon League opponent since 2006 when it took three in a row from Wright State.
UDM opened the week with a pair losses to Bowling Green on the road.
The Titans tied season highs in hits (11) and runs (eight) in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against Green Bay. In addition, UDM set a season high with five extra base hits (three doubles, two home runs) in its 8-5 victory over the Phoenix in game two.
The three-game League winning streak is UDM's longest such streak since it won three (two over Wright State and one over Cleveland State) from May 4-6, 2006.
UDM welcomes UIC for a three-game weekend series. The three-game set is Titans' only series of the week.
Green Bay
The Phoenix (6-18 overall, 0-8 Horizon League) went 0-3 last week, losing each of its games on the road to Detroit.
Green Bay suffered a pair of one-run losses over the weekend and is now 1-7 in one-run games this year.
Green Bay's last victory came against Cornell (4-2) on March 19.
The Phoenix have lost 10-consecutive games after it won a season-best four games from March 16-19.
As a team, Green Bay is 5-1 when leading after six innings.
The Phoenix will travel to in-state rival Wisconsin for a pair of games on Wednesday. Green Bay will finally open its home slate this weekend against Butler after playing its first 24 games on the road.
Loyola
The Ramblers (15-17 overall, 9-4 Horizon League) went 4-2 last week with a three-game weekend sweep against Wright State on the road.
LU began the week with a 7-2 setback against DePaul on Tuesday. The Ramblers then split a pair of games against UIC on Wednesday before taking three-consecutive games against Wright State.
The Ramblers have swept two three-game series versus League foes this spring (Youngstown State and Wright State).
Loyola enters this week having won six of its last eight contests.
Senior Kat Krause drove in the game-winning run in the seventh inning of a 3-2 win at Wright State on Sunday and in the process moved into a tie for the Loyola career lead with 89 RBI.
She is tied for the Ramblers' career RBI record with former teammate Raven Gengler. Krause already holds the Loyola career mark with 32 home runs.
Sophomore right-hander Amy Solava has won each of her last five decisions in the circle. She also belted her first two career home runs.
Senior Lindsay O'Gean has hit safely in seven of the last eight outings, while fellow senior Nora Schober has hit safely in eight of the last nine games.
This week Loyola heads to DePaul on Wednesday before traveling to Notre Dame for a doubleheader on Thursday.
A year ago the Ramblers knocked off the then-No. 14 Blue Demons, 3-0 at Loyola Softball Park on May 2, to record the team's first win over the Blue Demons since 1995.
LU concludes the week with a three-game series at home against Cleveland State beginning on Saturday.
UIC
The Flames (18-25 overall, 9-5 Horizon League) went 2-5 this past week.
UIC opened the week with a doubleheader split with crosstown rival Loyola on Wednesday.
The Flames then dropped two of three to Cleveland State over the weekend.
In five games last week, junior Sarah Clynes led the way offensively as she batted .600 (9-for-15) with two home runs in five games.
Clynes now ranks eighth on the UIC single season (11) and (21) career home run list.
Offensively as a team, UIC totaled six doubles and 13 RBI against Loyola and Cleveland State. The Flames also had four players batted over .300
UIC returns to action on Tuesday as it heads to Northwestern. The Flames will then travel to DePaul on Thursday before opening a three-game series on the road against Detroit.
Valparaiso
The Crusaders (24-13 overall, 6-2 Horizon League) split a pair of games last week with Purdue on the road.
Valpo is just three wins shy of matching the school record for victories in a season (27) and four wins shy of breaking it
The Crusaders' split with Purdue gives Valpo a 4-3-1 record against the Boilermakers since Randy Schneider's arrival in 2004.
Senior infielder Alicia Ashburn drove in the game-winning run in the top of the eighth in game two against Purdue.
Junior Karen Korb was caught stealing for the first time in over a calendar year in the second game against Purdue, breaking a streak of 33 consecutive successful steals.
Valparaiso welcomes Butler for a doubleheader on Tuesday before traveling to Wright State on Thursday for a twinbill.
The Crusaders close out the week with a three-game series at home against Youngstown State over the weekend.
Wright State
The Raiders (22-22 overall, 9-6 Horizon League) went 2-5 last week.
WSU opened the week by splitting a pair of games against Miami (Ohio) on Tuesday. The Raiders then stepped back into League play on Thursday and earned doubleheader split with Butler before losing three straight to Loyola over the weekend.
Wright State outhit the opposition .273-.257 last week, but left 63 runners on base, including 31 in the series against Loyola, compared to just 43 by the opposition.
WSU has dropped six League contests on the year, five of those coming in the final inning.
Senior Jherica Williams saw her hitting streak end at 26 games in the second game at Miami Tuesday, but the senior hit safely in the final five contests last week.
Over the last 32 games, Williams is hitting .567 with 13 home runs and 62 RBI.
The Raiders have a light week ahead as they travel across town to take on Dayton on Tuesday and host Valparaiso in a twinbill Thursday before taking the weekend off.
Youngstown State
The Penguins (8-27 overall, 4-12 Horizon League) went 2-5 this past week.
YSU fell twice to Cleveland State and Robert Morris to open the week.
The Penguin's two victories came against Butler. YSU dropped the opening contest of the three-game series 5-4, but would rebound in game two as it shutout BU 1-0. In the series finale, the Pengiuns claimed an 8-6 victory.
The back-to-back wins marked the second time this season that the Penguins had won consecutive games.
Senior McKenzie Bedra moved second place on the YSU all-time RBI list with 105.
Freshman Rochelle Vanyi is tied for second on the single-season home run list with nine and needs one more to tie the single-season home run record.
With two home runs against Robert Morris and a home run against Butler, junior Kristen McDonnell pushed her career home run total to 20. She is just the second YSU player to hit 20 career home runs.
Youngstown State returns to action at home on Tuesday for a doubleheader against Canisius. YSU then welcomes Saint Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday before traveling to Valparaiso for a three-game series this weekend.
