SPARTANBURG, S.C. - UNC Greensboro's Alex Emeterio and Amber Harrell have been named the Southern Conference Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for games April 19-25, the league office announced Monday.
Emeterio and Harrell helped UNCG to a doubleheader sweep over North Carolina A&T on Thursday and a 2-1 series win over Furman over the weekend.
On the week, Emeterio hit .600, with four of her nine hits going for extra bases. The first baseman slugged exactly 1.000 and had a .667 on-base percentage.
Against the Aggies on Thursday, Emeterio went a combined 5-for-6 with two doubles, two walks, two RBI and three runs scored. She reached base four times in each game. The Murrieta, Calif., sophomore then had a pair of multi-hit games at Furman. She was 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two RBI and two runs in UNCG's 5-0 win to extend her hitting streak to a career-best nine games and 2-for-3 with a double and a run in the final game of the series.
Emeterio had hits in four of UNCG's five games on the week, rapping out multiple hits in all four. Her big week moved her season average to .399.
The award is the first of Emeterio's career.
Harrell went 3-1 with a 0.70 ERA on the week to earn the award for the second week in a row. She threw a pair of two-hitters.
The McDonough, Ga., senior picked up both wins over N.C. A&T, working an inning of scoreless relief in game one, then tossing a two-hitter in game two. She struck out 11 in just six innings in game two.
Against Furman on Saturday, Harrell limited the Paladins to one hit through the first three innings before play was suspended by rain. She picked up right where she left off Sunday, allowing just one more hit through the final four innings for her second two-hitter of the week and her second shutout of the season. She struck out nine in that contest, leaving her with 599 for her career.
Already UNCG's career strikeout leader, Harrell reached the 600-strikeout milestone in the first inning of Sunday's third game, fanning the final batter of the first inning. Harrell struck out six in the game but took the loss, allowing just one earned run (four total) in six innings of work.
The award is Harrell's third of the season and the fifth of her career. She becomes the first UNCG pitcher to win the award in back-to-back weeks since Amber Watson on Feb. 18-25, 2002.
UNCG's sweep of the weekly SoCon awards was the sixth in school history and its first since Joni Gomez (Player) and Danielle Byrne (Pitcher) took both on April 26, 2004, exactly six years ago.
The wins over Furman moved UNCG to 23-23 overall and 10-7 in SoCon play, putting the Spartans alone in third place in the league standings. The top four teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the league tournament.
The Spartans return to action Tuesday for a doubleheader at Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
- UNCG -