LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The duo of Allie Gordon and Kennedy Carruth gave Belhaven University a sweep of the latest 2023 Division III Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors on Tuesday.
Gordon, a junior third baseman from Macon, Ga., went 7-for-11 with two doubles, two home runs, a triple and eight runs batted in last week. She set the Belhaven all-time record for RBI (143) with her second of two-straight RBI doubles in the first game of a doubleheader with Covenant, then homered in back-to-back at-bats against the Scots in the nightcap as the Blazers continued a perfect (6-0) start in Collegiate Conference of the South play.
Meanwhile, teammate and fellow NFCA All-American Carruth had another stellar week, tossing a no-hitter against Agnes Scott and a three-hitter versus Covenant. Against the Scotties, she needed just 63 pitches and fanned 10 batters, before picking up 10 more strikeouts against Covenant.
These were Carruth’s first two starts since an 18-strikeout one-hitter on March 18 against Wesleyan, during which every out Belhaven recorded in the six-inning 8-0 win was via strikeout. Over those three games, she allowed a total of four hits while fanning 38 batters.
Other Top Performances
Natalie Beebe, Hamilton - 4-1, SHO, 1.55 ERA, 13 K; Ashley Chu, Emory - .462 AVG, 3 R, 6 H, 4 SB; Phoebe Clemens, Lancaster Bible - .605 AVG, 24 R, 5 2B, 3 3B, 19 RBI, 5-5 SB; Brianna Davis, Wisconsin-Oshkosh - .474 AVG, 5 R, 6 RBI, back-to-back 3-for-3 games; Adanya Day, William Peace - 4-6, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB; Mackenzie Duford, Emory – 2-0, 2.63 ERA, 16 IP, 0 BB, beat then-No. 5 Case Western twice; Gracie Ellis, Randolph-Macon – 3-0, 0.35 ERA, 2 SHO, 3 CG, 25 K, BB, 20 IP; Emily Esquivel, Westminster (Mo.) - .588 AVG, 2 2B, 3B; Maddie Fink, Wisconsin-Oshkosh – 2-1, 0.94 ERA, 12 K; Lauren Gamme, Wisconsin-Eau Claire – 2-0, 0.74 ERA, 15 K, 2 SV; Brooke Grassia, Framingham State - .500 AVG, 5 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 2 SB; Natalie Grubczak, Illinois Weselyan – no-hitter vs. Monmouth (5 IP, BB, 2 K); Alyssa Hamilton, Lancaster Bible - .455 AVG, 16 R, 6 2B, 8 RBI; Alyssa Harhigh, York (Pa.) - 1.000 AVG, 2.600 SLG, 3 R, 3B, 2 HR, 3 RBI for two games; Brooke Hock, Wisconsin-Whitewater – 2-0, 2 SV, 0.00 ERA, 5 H, 17 K, 2 BB, 14 IP; Jordan Holman, Huntingdon - .562 AVG, 4 R, HR, 8 RBI; Dominique Irving, Randolph - .476 AVG, 9 R, 2B, 3B, two three-hit games, two diving catches and one stolen homer in win over No. 1 Salisbury; Anna Jackson, Berry - .412 AVG, 2B, 4 HR (including three homers in five-inning win), 10 RBI; Ashley Lugo, Alfred - .667 AVG, 2 R, 4 SB; Megan Maruna, Wisconsin-Eau Claire - .414 AVG, 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB; Katlynn McGivney, Hamilton - .750 AVG, 6 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI; Madison Moore, Illinois Wesleyan - .714 AVG, 3 R, 2 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 1.143 SLG; Katie Murphy, William Peace - no-hitter (7 K, 2 BB) and two scoreless innings of relief in doubleheader; Emily Novicki, King’s (Pa.) – 2-0, 1.00 ERA, 16 K, BB; Olivia Owens, Randolph-Macon - .631 AVG, 2B, 7 RBI, 3 SB, 17-game hit streak; Ab’c’de Patane, Massachusetts Maritime - .636 AVG, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB; Lindsey Perry, Whittier - .615 AVG, 3 R, 2B, three multi-hit games; Ami Rivera, Gordon (Mass.) - .714 AVG, 1.786 SLG, .733 OBP, 9 R, 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI; Kayla Senne, Bethany Lutheran – 2-0, 2 CG, 2 ER, 13 IP, 17 K, 2 BB; McKenna Smith, Husson – 1-0, 0.77 ERA, 19 K, 0 BB, 4 H, 9 IP; Abby Spore, Luther - .615 AVG, 1 K in 26 AB, 1.000 FLD (30 PO, 1 A), called pitchers for staff of five who had combined 0.81 ERA for week and a no-hitter; Lindsey Strom, Wisconsin-River Falls - .750 AVG, 3 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, four multi-hit games; Lindsey Windsor, Salisbury - .429 AVG, 8 R, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 1.000 FLD (4 PO, 9 A), 3-0 pitching, 1.05 ERA, 18 K, .217 OPP AVG.
Winners are selected by the NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee, which has a representative for each of the 10 NCAA regions.
2023 Wilson/NFCA Division III National Pitcher of the Week
March 28 — Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven, Jr., RHP, St. Francisville, La.
March 21 — Angela Sperandeo, Lynchburg, Sr., RHP, Glen Allen, Va.
March 14 — Kendyll Cahill, Mount Union, Fr., RHP, Groveport, Ohio
2023 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week
March 28 — Allie Gordon, Belhaven, Jr., 3B, Macon, Ga.
March 21 — Sarah Watts, Lynchburg, Fr., 2B, South Boston, Va.
March 14 — Natalia Pilpil, WashU, So., UT, Santa Clarita, Calif.
2023 NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee
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