[2023 MIAA Softball Athletes of the Week: Week 1, Week 2]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletes Association announced its third Softball Athletes of the Week for the 2023 season.
 
MIAA Hitter of the Week – Paxtyn Hayes – Pittsburg State
Paxtyn Hayes had a monster weekend for Pittsburg State, batting .692 with two doubles, four home runs and 19 RBI while leading the Gorillas to a 4-0 record on the weekend. The Greenwood, Ark., native went 9-for-13 at the plate in the four games played in the Pitt State Triangular. She hit for the cycle in home runs between the games, belting a grand slam, a three-run homer, a two-run homer and a solo shot. She also slugged 1.769 in the four contests. In the Gorillas 10-2 win over Drury, Hayes went 3-for-3 with a double, two homers and six. She also went 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and six RBI in a 12-1 win against Wayne State (Neb.). Hayes now ranks second in the league with 21 RBI on the young season.
 
MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Avery Tallman – Missouri Southern   
Avery Tallman pitched in four games with three starts and picked up three wins from 17.2 innings of work over the weekend. The sophomore allowed just five walks while opponents hitting .269 against her. Tallman picked up wins over East Central, Southern Nazarene and No. 16-ranked Southern Arkansas. Against the nationally ranked Muleriders, Tallman pitched all seven innings to pick up the win and mark her third complete game of the season. In MIAA ranks she is now tied for first for wins, second in innings pitched, fifth for strikeouts, tied for sixth for strikeouts looking and is eighth for ERA.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Hitters
Leighton Withers – Missouri Southern
In six games over the weekend, Leighton Withers posted a .667 batting average with 11 hits, 11 RBI, five runs scored, four home runs, three doubles for 26 total bases while slugging 1.529 and having an on-base percentage of .684. She ended the week with three straight games with a homer and has had at least two hits in four straight games. At Southern Nazarene, Withers put in a 3-for-4 performance that saw two home runs for five RBI as she started and ended the scoring in the game with her home runs. Against the No. 16-ranked Muleriders, Withers went 3-for-4 from the plate with a home run, double and collected two RBI as her homer in the fifth and RBI double in the seventh helped the Lions claim a 6-2 win and mark the second loss of the season for the ranked SAU team. The senior is currently leading the conference in slugging percentage, hits, RBI, OPS (1.647) and is tied for first in home runs. She also ranks second in at bats, third in batting average, tied for third in hit-by-pitches, fourth in on-base percentage and tied for fifth in runs scored.
 
Pitchers
Hannah Harrison – Pittsburg State
Hannah Harrison posted a 2-0 record in the circle to help the Gorillas post a 4-0 record in the Pitt State Triangular this past Saturday and Sunday. The Moore, Okla., native allowed just one run in 9.2 innings of work for a 0.72 ERA. She allowed eight hits and two walks while registering 13 strikeouts.
 
Paige Petefish – Central Missouri
Paige Petefish threw a complete game shutout in the 3-0 win over Ouachita Baptist this past weekend. The redshirt sophomore threw seven innings, allowing just five hits and striking out five batters.
 
ALSO NOMINATED
Hitters: Aubrey Griffith (Northwest Missouri), Emily Deramus (Central Oklahoma), Makenzie McAtee (Central Missouri), Abbey Rogers (Rogers State), Reese Curry (Fort Hays State), Jaeden Rosenquist (Northeastern State)
 
Pitchers: Harley Culie (Rogers State), Breck Dickey (Northwest Missouri), Jordan Galliher (Lincoln)