LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The duo of Sarah Watts and Angela Sperandeo gave the University of Lynchburg a sweep of the latest 2023 Division III Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors on Tuesday.
Watts, a freshman second baseman from South Boston, Va., went 3-for-4 and hit the go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh in the Hornets’ 3-2 victory over top-ranked Salisbury last Friday, and slugged .929 for a 3-1 weekend that propelled her squad to the No. 16 spot in this week’s NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Halifax County High product had multiple hits in three of the four contests with 13 total bases, and has a team-leading .425 batting average this season.
Sperandeo, a senior right-hander from Glen Allen, Va., tossed a complete-game three-hitter against the No. 1 Sea Gulls and recorded one of her two strikeouts on the final out of the game. In four starts this season, the Health Promotion major has allowed just four earned runs (1.47 ERA) and three walks over 19 innings, while fanning 11 and limiting opponents to a .205 batting average.
Other Top Performances
Molly Alejandrino, N.C. Wesleyan - .917 AVG (11-for-12), .933 OBP, 1.917 SLG, 9 R, 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 3 BB, 17 RBI; Emma Aridi, NYU - .469 AVG, 10 R, 4 2B, 3 SB, 9 RBI; Haley Bach, Central (Iowa) - .417 AVG, 6 R, 2 2B, 2 SB, 4 RBI; Angelina Biele, NYU – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 16 K (including school-record 15 in one game); Mackenzie Bivin, MIT - .474 AVG, .789 SLG, .500 OBP, HR, 9 RBI; Kylie Bryant, DeSales - .643 AVG, 6 BB, HR, 8 RBI; Mikayla Cable, MIT - .684 AVG, 5 2B, 4 RBI, .714 OBP, 1.053 SLG; Kailey Carrano, Western New England - .325 AVG, 3 HR, 13 RBI; Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 25 K in 13 IP (including 18 K vs. Wesleyan in first career no-hitter); Ashley Croft, East Texas Baptist – 3-0, 1.75 ERA, 8 K, 4 ER; Dina DiBlasio, Western New England - .439 AVG, 6 2B, 7 RBI; Marina Egbert, NYU – 3-0, 0.33 ERA, SV, 3 CG; Maddie Fink, Wisconsin-Oshkosh – 2-0, 0.50 ERA, 12 K; Brooke Greaver, Christopher Newport - .462 AVG, 3 HR, 5 BB, 11 RBI, .611 OBP, 1.308 SLG; Erin Hancock, Wentworth Institute of Tech - .385 AVG, HR, 3 RBI, plus 2-1, SV, 1.47 ERA, 18 K; Madison Henry, Piedmont - .667 AVG, 3 R, 2B, 2 BB, 5 RBI; Camryn Kitchin, The College of New Jersey - .632 AVG, 7 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 1.105 SLG, 1.755 OPS; Megan Klose, Arcadia - .474 AVG, 7 R, 5 HR (homered in four straight games), 12 RBI; Sophia Leon, NYU - .565 AVG, 9 R, 2 SB, 5 RBI; Rachel Lowry, DeSales – 2-0, SV, 1.79 ERA, 16 K, .226 OPP AVG; Margaux Lesser, NYU - .483 AVG, 11 R, 3B, 2 SB, 3 RBI; Tristen Maddox, East Texas Baptist - .722 AVG, 10 R, 5 2B, HR, 10 RBI, 1.167 SLG, 0 K, 7 SB; Abby Marquis, Haverford - .633 AVG, 2 2B, 5 HR (including three-homer game), 15 RBI; Bailey Murphy, Huntingdon - .500 AVG, 2B, 3 RBI, 16 PO, 1.000 FLD; Emma Nagy, WPI – 3 HR, 8 RBI over two games (including three-homer game); Ab’C’De Patane, Massachusetts Maritime - .826 AVG, 11 R, 5 2B, 3B, HR, 13 RBI; Keegan Piton, Wisconsin-River Falls - .500 AVG, 5 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI; Juliana Presto, Arcadia – 4-1, 46 K (four double-digit strikeout games), 32 IP, 1.41 ERA; Emily Stone, NYU – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, CG; Sophie Wery, Wisconsin-Oshkosh - .500 AVG, 5 R, 5 2B, HR, 11 RBI, 0 K; Bryton Wright, Mary Hardin-Baylor - .583 AVG, 2 R, 2B, 2 HR, 2 BB, 7 RBI.
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 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 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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