PACWEST SOFTBALL WEEKLY NOTEBOOK
IRVINE, Calif. -- The PacWest had eight of its 10 teams competing in the Tournament of Champions hosted by Stanislaus State last week and the conference finished with a combined record of 16-23.
Three teams had winning records at the tournament, led by Azusa Pacific’s 4-1 mark. The Cougars dropped the first game to tournament champion Western Washington and then came back to win four games in a row in two days.
The Cougars’ biggest win came against Central Washington with an 11-4 victory in a rematch of the 2016 NCAA sub-regional championship.
Becca Jewitt went 3 for 4 in the win with a solo home run in the fourth inning.
Hawai`i Pacific went 3-2 at the Tournament of Champions with all three wins coming on complete-game shutouts by
Jordan Curry. The senior threw a two-hit shutout against Cal State Monterey Bay for a 1-0 victory in the final game of the tournament.
Academy of Art also finished the tournament with a 3-2 record by winning its final three games in Turlock. The Urban Knights beat Montana State Billings, 3-1, in the final game with a three-run sixth inning.
Lauryn Henderson doubled in two runs before
Brenna Youngquist plated Henderson for the 3-1 lead.
Earlier in the week, the top two teams in the conference standings at the time met in Irvine, where Concordia won three of four games against Hawai`i Hilo. Concordia won both of the final two games on walk-offs to secure its spot atop the standings.
Weekly awards for the week of March 24-31
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Melanie Abzun, Azusa Pacific
OF, Sr., 5-10 -- Lake View Terrace, Calif.
Abzun led Azusa Pacific to a 5-1 week in Turlock, California, as the Cougars posted the PacWest's best record at the Tournament of Champions. Abzun went 11 for 23 on the week with 14 RBIs and six runs. The sophomore also had a league-best 22 total bases in the six games. Abzun belted two home runs to go along with a triple, three doubles and five singles. The Cougars outfielder also stole bases in the wins over Stanislaus State and Northwest Nazarene. Against Humboldt State, Abzun finished the game a triple away from the cycle.
CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lauryn Henderson, Academy of Art
C, So., 5-9 -- Gilbert, Ariz.
Henderson led Academy of Art to wins in each of its final three games at the Tournament of Champions as the Urban Knights improved their record to 8-9 on the season. In the first two games of the tournament, Academy of Art faced two of the top teams in the West Region and Henderson went a combined 5 for 5 with four RBIs, three runs and two walks. In the final three games, the sophomore went 5 for 11 with her second home run of the week as she finished with eight RBIs in the tournament. Henderson led all players at the Tournament of Champions in batting average at .625 to earn recognition as the tournament's batting champion.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Jordan Curry, Hawai`i Pacific
P, Sr., 6-0 -- Farmington, N.M.
Curry pitched three-consecutive shutout victories at the Tournament of Champions to lead Hawai`i Pacific to three wins as the Sharks improved to 26-17 this season. The senior began the week with a relief appearance, throwing four innings against Concordia (Ore.). She then tossed complete-game shutout against Simon Fraser, Central Washington and Cal State Monterey Bay, allowing just 11 hits in the 21 innings. Against Central Washington, Curry had eight strikeouts and only four hits allowed.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Jennifer Morinishi, BIola
P/OF, Fr., 5-3 -- Cerritos, Calif.
Morinishi threw 9.1 shutout innings with six strikeouts for two wins as she helped Biola extend its winning streak to seven games. The freshman struck out four batters in as many innings with only four hits allowed for her third win of the season. The next day, she tossed 5.1 innings against Chaminade with two more strikeouts and no runs allowed. Morinishi also walked and scored a run for Biola’s offense. She now has a 4-3 record with a 2.88 ERA and 31 strikeouts.