Big South Announces Softball Players of the Week - March 17

Big South Announces Softball Players of the Week - March 17

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) –- Presbyterian’s Kendall Owens (Purcellville, Va.) and Radford’s Rachel Smith (Reidsville, N.C.) have been named the Big South Softball Co-Players of the Week, while Winthrop’s Megan Powell (Eden, N.C.) is the Pitcher of the Week for games played March 10-16, it was announced today.  In addition, Radford’s Dakota Redmon (Stokesdale, N.C.) is the Freshman of the Week honoree.
 
Owens hit .474 (9-19) with five RBI, four doubles, one home run, a .842 slugging clip, two walks and a steal in leading the Blue Hose to a 3-3 week -- including their first-ever Big South series win over preseason favorite USC Upstate.  She had two 3-hit games plus a 2-hit effort during the week, and went 5-10 ( =.500) against Upstate.  Owens singled home the eventual game-winning run in the 2-1 series finale victory over the Spartans as part of a 3-3 day.  She also doubled and homered with 2 RBI in PC’s 8-6 win on Saturday.
 
Smith batted .385 (5-13) with four runs scored, three RBI and four extra-base hits (one double, one triple and two home runs) in four games, including the Highlanders’ first road conference sweep since 2021.  In the series opener at Gardner-Webb, she hit the go-ahead home run in the top of the eighth inning as Radford held on for a 2-1 win.  Smith then tripled and homered in game two (5-0 victory), and completed her weekend with an RBI-double and scored the eventual winning run in Saturday’s 2-1 triumph.
 
Powell went 2-0 in the circle with a 0.58 earned run average in Winthrop’s weekend sweep of Longwood.  She tossed a complete game in Friday’s opener, as she allowed two unearned runs in five innings.  Powell closed out the series with a seven-inning complete game in which she struck out five and permitted just five hits and one run in the 2-1 victory.  Powell limited the Lancers to a .167 batting average in her two appearances.
 
Redmon was 2-0 with a 1.03 ERA in three appearances last week.  She first held North Carolina to just one run in 5.1 innings of relief on Tuesday, then picked up an 8-inning, complete game victory at Gardner-Webb on Friday with seven strikeouts in a 2-1 victory.  Redmon won the series finale, 2-1, on Saturday with a complete game in which she permitted just five hits while fanning four batters.
 
Also nominated for Player of the Week: Jordyn Dimond (Charleston Southern), Taylor Dreher (Gardner-Webb), Sophia Kardatzke (USC Upstate) and Peyton Bryden (Winthrop).
 
Also nominated for Pitcher of the Week: Alli Stidham (Gardner-Webb), Dakota Redmon (Radford) and Sierra Maness (USC Upstate).
 
Also nominated for Freshman of the Week: Audrey Burton (Presbyterian), Sophia Kardatzke (USC Upstate) and Madelyn Miller (Winthrop).