April 26, 2011

Three earn weekly honors

WEXFORD, Pa. -- Three Grove City College spring sport athletes earned Player of the Week honors from the Presidents' Athletic Conference Monday night in recognition of their respective performances last week.

Senior left fielder Butch Kriger (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) is this week's Hitter of the Week in baseball. The Grove City softball team swept the weekly awards as sophomore third baseman Amanda Sheppeck (Butler, Pa./Knoch) captured Hitter of the Week distinction and senior pitcher Lauren Pennell (Zelienople, Pa./Seneca Valley) earned Pitcher of the Week.

Kriger hit .733 (11 for 15) in six conference games last week, helping the Wolverines to a 4-2 mark. He collected four doubles and one home runs while scoring six runs and driving in seven. He highlighted his week by belting a grand slam at Washington & Jefferson April 18.

Kriger slugged 1.200 for the week and posted a .778 on-base percentage. He has been one of the nation's hottest hitters in recent weeks as he is hitting .581 (18 for 31) with two home runs and five doubles over the last 10 games. Kriger is now hitting .309 for the season. In conference play, Kriger is hitting .463 (25 of 54).

The Wolverines (16-13, 11-7 PAC) host Waynesburg Wednesday at 3 p.m. in conference action.

Sheppeck helped pace Grove City's offense by hitting .615 (8 for 13) in doubleheaders against Geneva and Chatham last week. Sheppeck collected five doubles, one home run and scored four runs in the four games. She posted a 1.231 slugging percentage and a .571 on-base percentage. She closed the week by going 5 for 7 with four doubles in a sweep of Chatham Thursday afternoon in Pittsburgh.

Sheppeck leads Grove City with a .379 batting average. She also leads the team in slugging (.609), hits (33), runs scored (23), total bases (53) and doubles (12). She also earned PAC Hitter of the Week March 7. Sheppeck is the first Grove City player to earn multiple Player of the Week honors since Pennell twice earned Pitcher of the Week in 2009. 

Pennell earned Pitcher of the Week Monday night after going 2-0 with an 0.64 earned run average in two starts last week. She threw five shutout innings Wednesday in the Wolverines' 6-2 victory over Geneva. Thursday, she allowed one earned run in six innings at Chatham.

Pennell allowed just nine hits in 11 innings for the week. She struck out eight and issued just two walks. Offensively, Pennell also hit .385 with a homer, triple and two doubles in the four games.

She is 6-7 this year with a team-best 2.59 ERA in 14 starts. Offensively, Pennell upped her average to .313. She leads the team with three home runs and shares the team lead in runs batted in (16) with Sheppeck.

Grove City (15-13, 5-7 PAC) will visit Waynesburg Wednesday afternoon in a pivotal conference doubleheader.

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