[2023 MIAA Softball Athletes of the Week: Week 1]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its second Softball Athletes of the Week for the 2023 season.
 
Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week – Ari Cordova – Emporia State
Ari Cordova hit .500 with an OPS of 1.350, totaled ten RBI and had six stolen bases as Emporia State opened the season 5-1 at the Lubbock College Sports Invitational. The Hornets Junior was 3-for-3 in her ESU debut in a 3-1 win against Minot State with a double and two RBI. After being held hitless in two at bats against No. 21-ranked Lubbock Christian to end day one, she went 3-for-3 with an RBI in a 3-0 win over Chadron State to start day two. She capped day two going 2-for-4 with a double, home run, four RBI and three runs scored in a 15-7 run rule win over UT-Permian Basin. On the invitational’s final day, Cordova had a triple, two RBI and a run scored in the Hornets 8-2 game one win over Adams State. She then went 1-for-4 with an RBI and run scored in the 9-1 run rule win over the Grizzlies in game two. After the weekend, Cordova is currently second in the MIAA in RBI and stolen bases.
 
Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week – Bridgett Morales – Rogers State
Bridgett Morales powered the No. 1-ranked Hillcats to a 6-0 record to start the season, hitting .588 (10-for-17) with nine RBI, a grand slam and four runs scored. In the series opener against Cameron, the sophomore went 3-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored in the doubleheader. In the 9-2 win over Harding, she went 1-for-4 with two RBI. In the 6-5 win over Illinois-Springfield, she went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk. She was a perfect 3-for-3 in the 3-0 win over Drury. In the 11-1 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State, she went 2-for-2 driving in the game winning run with a grand slam.
 
Co-MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Sara Llamas-Howell – Rogers State
Sara Llamas-Howell earned three wins in her first three starts a Hillcat with two shutouts and a complete game, totaling 13 strikeouts in 16.0 innings. In the 6-0 win in the season opener against Cameron, the junior went 5.0 shutout innings only allowing one hit and one walk with five strikeouts. In the 9-2 win over Harding, she pitched 4.0 innings with one run, five hits and two strikeouts. To end the week, Llamas-Howell earned the complete game shutout against Drury in a 3-0 win, allowing four hits and one walk with six strike outs in 7.0 innings pitched.
 
Co-MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Sam Pederson – Missouri Western  
Receiving the nod for two starts in the circle this past weekend, Sam Pederson went to work with two complete games, pitching 14 innings while only giving up one earned run and striking out 16 batters. The senior pitcher struck out a season-high nine against Drury in a 4-1 win. She then followed that performance up with seven more punch outs against Illinois-Springfield, only yielding three hits and one unearned run with no walks.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Hitters
Mackenzie DeVine – Missouri Western
Mackenzie DeVine was dangerous at the plate all weekend at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic, going 6-for-13 overall with six RBI. Her biggest game of the weekend came against Drury, where she went 2-for-3 with four RBI and smashed her first home run of the season – a go-ahead three-run shot to eventually give the Griffons the win against a Drury team receiving top-25 votes. In the finale of the tournament, DeVine went deep again against Arkansas Tech with a two-run shot to extend the Griffons lead to 4-0. She also racked up two-straight multi-hit games against Drury and Illinois-Springfield.
 
Madison Pierce – Fort Hays State
Madison Pierce had a big weekend at the plate, driving in a team high eight runs. Four of her six hits went for extra bases. Peirce helped FHSU rally back from a 6-0 deficit in the 7-6 comeback win against Oklahoma Baptist. She had a ground out RBI to give FHSU its first run in the fourth, doubled home FHSUs third run in the fifth inning, then had the go-ahead two-RBI double in the sixth. In the 12-0 win against Southwestern Oklahoma, she had the knockout blow in a seven-run fifth inning for the Tigers with a three-run home run. In the 4-1 win over Northwestern Oklahoma, Pierce capped a four-run fifth inning with an RBI single. Pierce had a hit in all four contests for FHSU.
 
Pitchers
Josie Harrison – Emporia State
Josie Harrison tossed a complete game shutout against Chadron State in her first outing of the season. The senior gave up just one hit with three walks and four strikeouts. The Eagles were never able to get more than one runner on base in an inning against her. Harrison also tossed the final two innings of the Hornets 8-2 win against Adams State and allowed one run.
 
ALSO NOMINATED
Hitters: Makenzie McAtee (Central Missouri), Ashlynn Williams (Missouri Southern), Chloe Bohuslavicky (Northeastern State)  
 
Pitchers: Avery Tallman (Missouri Southern), Madison Heinle (Northeastern State), Morgan Schmidt (Fort Hays State)