One Lone Star Conference team remains unbeaten as UT Tyler improved to 14-0. LSC teams have one more round of non-conference play this week.
LSC teams are playing a single round-robin schedule with a doubleheader (two games) against each league opponent. The LSC Champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in regular-season conference games. The top 10 teams will qualify for the single-elimination conference championship to determine the league’s tournament champion.
In the NCAA Division II South Central Region, LSC teams are 37-18 combined versus Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference competition.
LSC schedule and results available here:
http://www.lonestarconference.org/calendar.aspx?path=softball&&
SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTER
Tyla Lee, Lubbock Christian, SR, Criminal Justice, Utility, Red Deer, Alberta, École Secondaire Notre Dame HS
LCU went 5-0 at the Regional Festival and Lee had four multi-hit games, including going 3-for-3 with 2 home runs (matched career high) and 5 RBI (career high) in LCU's 13-5 win over No.14 Rogers State, which was LCU's first run-rule win over a ranked opponent since March 13, 2013. Lee also went 3-for-4 against Southern Arkansas and 1-for-2 against Arkansas Tech, which were regional qualifying programs last season. She played three games at third base and two catching, and her breakdown on the week included a .688 batting average and 7-for-10 with the bases empty, 4-for-6 with runners on base and 2-for-2 in bases-loaded at-bats. She is riding a 13-game hit streak.
PITCHER
Alyssa LeBlanc, Texas A&M-Commerce, SO, Sport & Recreation Management, Pitcher/DP, Katy, Texas, Katy HS
LeBlanc tossed a perfect game on Friday against Fort Lewis, striking out eight of the 15 batters she faced. It is the first perfect game in program history. On Saturday against Northern State, she gave up just one run in five innings, while recording 12 strikeouts. She went 2-0 in the weekend and is 18th in the conference with 28 strikeouts. She had an ERA of 0.70 over the weekend.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Hitter
F-8 Paxton Scheurer, Angelo State
F-15 Loren Kelly, Texas A&M-Kingsville
F-22 Tyla Lee, Lubbock Christian
Pitcher
F-8 Emily Otto, Texas A&M-Commerce
F-15 Taylor Franco, Lubbock Christian
F-22 Alyssa LeBlanc, Texas A&M-Commerce
SELECTED NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Matisen Onofrei, Texas A&M-Kingsville, was red-hot during a week in which the Javelinas won all five of their games to improve to 13-1. Onofrei started the week by going 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs in win over Henderson State and she drove in another run later in a day as TAMUK defeated Ouachita Baptist. On Sunday, she whacked four hits and pushed across four runs in victory over Midwestern State, then finished off the week with her fourth multi-hit outing in a rematch with HSU. Onofrei, who is now on a 10-game hitting streak, batted .714 for the week five extra base hits, eight runs scored and seven RBIs.
Uxua Modrego, Texas A&M-Commerce, made Lone Star Conference history on Saturday by hitting four home runs against Adams State. The four home runs in a game are a first in the LSC, eighth time in NCAA Division II, and first among all three divisions of NCAA this season. She batted .563 on the weekend while scoring 10 runs and driving in 10 RBIs as well. She stole a base and had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and a slugging percentage of 1.500. Her nine RBIs against Adams State are most in a game by a LSC player this season and tied for most by a LSC player in history.
Michelle Arias, UT Tyler, posted 12 RBI and hit four homers in #1 UT Tyler's undefeated 5-0 week. Arias recorded a .538 batting average, going 7-for-13 from the plate, and notched three multi-hit games throughout the week. The San Antonio, Texas native hit two homers in the first game against Our Lady of the Lake to finish the game 2-for-3 at the plate with a trio of runs scored. She then finished up her week with 2-for-3 efforts in each of the first two Patriot wins against Arkansas-Monticello, adding two more homers in the opening home series of the year for UT Tyler. Arias led the team in runs (9), RBI (12) and homers (4) for the week, and is batting .526 for the year.
Diana Murtha, West Texas A&M, helped a Lady Buff offense that hit .429 in week three of season as the junior played and started in five games where she hit .500. The Nevada native went 9-for-18 at the plate with four home runs for a 1.167 slugging percentage with nine runs while driving in 11 RBI. She had a .500 on-base-percentage with one stolen base and had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage at third. She ranks fourth in the conference with six total homers and seventh with 18 total RBI.
Julia Bumford, UT Permian Basin, was huge at the plate for the Falcons who won three games at the WT Invitational. On Friday against Northern State she slugged three home runs and drove in six in the Falcons win. That same day against Adams State she homered and drove in five in the win. She is tied for the team lead with four home runs and leads the Falcons with 17 RBI, while also leading in batting average at .500.
Kristin Rodriguez, Texas Woman's, recorded seven hits in 12 at-bats as the Pioneers split against East Central and Ottawa University. Rodriguez had only one strikeout on the week. As a freshman, she also started in every game for the Pioneers.
Heidi Vortherms, West Texas A&M, helped the Lady Buffs to a 5-0 weekend at the WT Invitational as the freshman pitcher picked up three victories in the circle. Vortherms didn't allow a single run to come across the plate, limiting opponents to just five hit through 12.2 innings for a .125 batting average. She totaled 16 strikeouts, including seven against Northern State and Adams State. She now ranks third in the conference with a .72 ERA and second in opponent batting average at .141
Genesis Armendariz, Angelo State, was consistent in the circle at the ASU Invitational as the Rambelles picked up five more wins at home. In a tied game against Texas A&M International, she entered the game in the seventh inning with two runners, eventually recording the final out before the Rambelles walked it off in the bottom part of the inning. She the turned around and started against New Mexico Highlands, only allowing three hits in 3.1 innings as the Rambelles claimed a 10-0 run-rule victory. The next day, in a start versus the Dustdevils, she only allowed two hits in three innings to claim another run-rule victory. To close out her weekend, she pitched the final three innings in relief, only allowing three hits and two walks and striking out six to pick up her fourth win of the weekend.
Beth Montes, Texas A&M-Kingsville, was in command in both games she started last week, completing both outings and earning two wins. Against Ouachita Baptist on Saturday, she gave up only a single run in seven innings, didn't walk a batter and struck out five. She was just as good on Monday against Henderson State, twirling six innings of one-run ball on four hits and tallying four more strikeouts with issuing a free pass. In 13 innings of work, Montes pitched to a 1.38 ERA, didn't walk a batter and held the opposition to a .174 batting average.
Sarah Gartman, UT Tyler, allowed just five hits in 12.0 innings pitched last week to post a pair of complete game wins in her two starts. Gartman went 7.0 complete innings against Our Lady of the Lake on Wednesday afternoon, allowing just two hits in the effort while striking out seven. She followed up that performance with a second straight complete game on Saturday afternoon against Arkansas-Monticello, allowing just three hits in the five-inning win for #1 UT Tyler. Gartman struck out 11 batters in her 12.0 innings of work, and only conceded a single walk. She allowed just two earned runs between the two starts, and has posted a 0.64 ERA through 22.0 innings of work so far in 2022.
Jules Malis, Texas Woman's, started two games for the Pioneers. She went 1-1 in those games. Across the two games, she struck out 14 batters and allowed 13 hits. In her win against East Central, she held the Tigers to just one run in five innings of play.
McKenna Leamon, St. Edward's, tossed a seven-inning complete game win over Regis in Denver with 14 strikeouts. She followed that performance with a five-inning victory and three Ks against MSU Denver. For the week, went 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA, allowing 10 hits and three runs in 12 innings.
Catalina Cavazos, St. Mary's, won three of the team's five games in the circle, starting the second half of each of the doubleheaders. She held opponents to a .243 batting average and fanned 18 for a 1.77 ERA - pitching at mile high altitude in two of the three starts. On Sunday at Regis, she struck out a season-high nine batters. She's allowed two or fewer earned runs in eight straight appearances and has almost a 4:1 K:BB ratio this season.
Maxine Valdez, Lubbock Christian, helping LCU to a 5-0 week at the Regional Festival, Valdez went 3-0 with wins over 2021 regional qualifier Southern Arkansas, Missouri Southern and No. 14 Rogers State. She tossed a career-high 10 strikeouts against SAU, combined for a shutout against MSSU and battled the windy elements to get the win in the circle against RSU. For the week, had a 3.13 ERA as opponents hit .207 overall and .118 in two-out at-bats.