[2023 MIAA Softball Athletes of the Week: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its Softball Hitter and Pitcher of the Week for the ninth week of the 2023 season.
 
MIAA Hitter of the Week – Tatum Long – Central Oklahoma
Tatum Long helped Central Oklahoma to a 4-0 record last week, sweeping a non-conference home doubleheader against Southern Nazarene before taking two on the road against league rival Newman. Long led the offense Bronchos hitting .556 with five hits in nine at bats. The junior first baseman/designated player totaled four doubles, one home run and five RBI in finishing with a 1.333 slugging percentage. She also drew walks in ending with a .667 on-base percentage.
 
MIAA Pitcher of the Week – Bailey Lacy – Missouri Southern
Bailey Lacy struck out a program record 15 batters against Nebraska Kearney and recorded back-to-back complete game shutout wins on the road. Lacy went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA from 14.0 innings of work. The senior pitcher struck out 23 batter (eight looking) and held opponents to a .160 batting average with no extra base hits surrendered. In a 3-0 victory over the Lopers, Lacy stuck out two batters in every inning except the second inning where she totaled all three outs with strikeouts. She allowed three hits and issued two walks in the win. Playing in her hometown Hays, Kan., Lacy struck out eight Tigers and issued only one walk in her third straight complete game shutout of the season. For the season, the right hander is now 8-0 with two saves and 71 strikeouts from 67.1 innings. She posts a 1.98 ERA.
 
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Hitters
Bridgett Morales – Rogers State
Bridgett Morales led the Hillcats to two MIAA sweeps on the road last week over Lincoln and Central Missouri. The sophomore hit .545 (6-for-11) at the plate with seven RBI, four runs scored, two home runs, a double and two walks. In the 12-0 win over the Blue Tigers, Morales went 3-for-4 with three RBI including a solo home run. In the second game against LU, she drove in two runs in her only official at bat. She closed out the week going 2-for-3 against the Jennies in the 7-2 win with a two-run homer.
 
Olivia Daugherty – Northwest Missouri
Olivia Daugherty hit .450 with nine hits and six RBI in a six-game stretch. The senior collected at least one hit in five of the six contests. In the Bearcats 7-3 win over William Jewell to open the week, Daugherty went 2-for-5 with a run and two RBI. She also went 3-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Northwest’s second win over Emporia State. Daugherty tallied Northwest’s only hit against No. 15-ranked Washburn in game two of the MIAA double-header with a two-run home run in the first inning. It was her 11th homer of the season and 41st of her career.
 
Pitchers
Sara Llamas-Howell – Rogers State
Sara Llamas-Howell led the Hillcats to a 2-0 record in her two starts in the circle last week with MIAA victories over Lincoln and Central Missouri. The senior pitched 12.0 innings, only allowing one run on eight hits with 15 strikeouts. In the 17-0 win over the Blue Tigers, Llamas-Howell earned a combined shutout working 5.0 innings with only two hits and eight strikeouts. In the 2-1 win over the Jennies, she worked a complete game only allowing one run on six hits with seven strikeouts.
 
Terin Ritz – Central Oklahoma
Terin Ritz collected two wins in the circle last week as the Bronchos went 4-0 on the week. Ritz posted an 0.58 ERA in two starts and threw one complete game. In 12 innings, the sophomore right-hander allowed six hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out seven batters and walking just one. She held her opponents to a .140 batting average.
 
Sam Pederson – Missouri Western
Sam Pederson earned two MIAA wins last week as the Griffons went 4-2. Pederson gave up just four runs in three-straight complete games. In 22 innings, Pederson totaled 16 strikeouts and posted an ERA of 1.00. Only one walk was allotted under Pederson’s watch, giving up only three earned runs and four runs overall.
 
ALSO NOMINATED
Hitters: Sydni Hawkins (Missouri Western), Regan Curry (Fort Hays State), Addy Wolfe (Northeastern State), Adrianna Young (Missouri Southern)  
Pitchers: Savanah Egger (Fort Hays State), Sydney Thomason (Nebraska Kearney), Paige Petefish (Central Missouri), Jaydn Streigle (Northwest Missouri)