LOUISVILLE, Ky. – West Texas A&M’s Diana Murtha and UT Tyler’s Crimson Bryant were named Division II Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors for their outstanding performances for contests played Feb. 5-11.
Murtha batted .778 over four games with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBI. She slugged 2.000 and drew five walks, contributing to a .800 on-base percentage. Murtha was 2-for-2 with a homer and three RBI versus CSU Pueblo and capped the week off with a 3-for-3 outing with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored.
Bryant twirled a pair of complete-game shutouts, striking out seven in each outing, and issuing just two walks and five hits. The rookie hurler from Sulpher Springs, Texas blanked Northeastern State on one hit over five innings. Bryant followed that performance with a four-hit blanking of then-No. 13 Southern Arkansas. She has not allowed a run and struck out 24 in her first 25 innings of her collegiate career.
The above awards are voted on by the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll Committee, which features two member coaches from each of the NCAA’s eight regions.
Selected Top Performances
Laylonna Applin, Angelo State - 4 GP, 4 GS; .417 AVG, 5 RBIs; 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 SB; 1.212 OP; Michelle Arias, UT Tyler - 4 GP/4 GS, .385 BA, 8 RBI, 5 H, 4 R, 1 HR, 1 Grand Slam, .615 SLG; Loren Beggs, Fort Hays State - .636, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, .714 OBP; Abbi Behe, Lander - .636, 2B 2 H, 2 RBI; Hailey Beuerlein, Saint Leo - .500, 6 H, 2 R, 8 RBI, 3 2B, HR, 4 BB, .667 OBP, 1.091 SLG; Gabby D’Ottavio, Millersville - .571, 3 RBI, 1.142 OPS; Leah Garcia, Colorado Christian – hit a pair of two-run homers and had four RBI vs. St. Edwards, finished with five RBI; Savannah Coyle, Cal State San Marcos – 2 app/1 GS, 1 CG, SV, 0.00 ERA, 4 K, BB, 9 IP; Emma Duncan, Colorado Christian – 2 GS, 2 SHO, 5 H, 10 K, 14 IP; Savanah Egger, Fort Hays State – 2-0, 0.50 ERA, 2 CG, 16 K, 2 BB, 14 IP; Cheyenne Floyd, Angelo State – 2 app, GS, 9 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 16 K, .100 opp. BA, 0.78 ERA; Kaiana Kong, Western Washington – 4-0, 0.81 ERA, 3 BB, 7 K, .203 opp. BA, 17.1 IP; Sara Llamas-Howell, Rogers State – 2-0, 0.87 ERA, 7 K, BB, 8 IP; Bailey Pattison, Lander – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 K, 10 IP; Kiki Pickens, Missouri Southern – 2-0, 2 GS, 1.50 ERA, 16 K, 4 BB, 14 IP; Heidi Vortherms, West Texas A&M – 2-0, SV, 0.75 ERA, 14 K, BB, 9.1 IP.
The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded Louisville Slugger/Player & Wilson/Pitcher of the Week awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from webinars to legal counsel, to in-person events and the National Convention.
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NFCA Division II Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week
