RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the league's Players of the Week awards for the second week of the 2019 softball season. Harding's Briley Feringa and Hanna Jones captured the Player and Freshman awards while Southern Arkansas' Victoria Taylor earned her second-straight Pitching honor.
GAC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Briley Feringa, Harding, C, Jr., Glendale, Arizona
Feringa helped pace the Lady Bisons to a 4-1 weekend at the 2019 NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic. She tallied eight hits and posted a .533 average. She opened the tournament with two hits and a run scored in a 5-2 win against No. 3 North Georgia, the highest-ranked opponent Harding has ever defeated. She also collected a pair of hits in a 8-5 win against No. 5 Saint Leo.
GAC SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Victoria Taylor, Southern Arkansas, RHP, Jr., Greenwood, Arkansas
Taylor picked up two of Southern Arkansas' three wins at the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic. She struck out 11 against No. 22 Valdosta State in her first start. She tossed a two-hit shutout and registered six strikeouts against West Georgia. She capped her week by fanning seven in 4.0 innings of the Lady Muleriders' dominating 13-1 victory against No. 5 Saint Leo.
GAC SOFTBALL FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK – Hanna Jones, 2B, Keller, Texas
Jones added pop to the Lady Bisons offense as she homered and slugged .643 in five games as the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic. In her first collegiate at bat, she gave Harding the lead for good against No. 3 North Georgia with a three-run home run. She followed up with two-out, run-scoring double in Harding's 8-5 win against No. 5 Saint Leo. She hit .357 for the week.
OTHERS NOMINATED
Tatiana Bryant, INF, East Central (Opened her season by hitting .429 in ECU's opening three games); Samantha Ortiz, INF, Ouachita (Hit .400 at the DII Crossover Classic); Faith Otts, 3B, Southern Arkansas (Went 6-for-17 with six RBI at the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic);
Jenna Hipp, RHP, Harding (Defeated No. 3 North Georgia and West Georgia at the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic); Kelsey O'Brien, RHP, Ouachita (Allowed only one unearned run in 3.1 innings of relief)
Sarah Evans, SS, Southern Arkansas (Scored four runs and drove in four runs at the NFCA Division II Leadoff Classic); Ashlyn Taylor, SS, Henderson State (Went 6-for-10 with a double, triple and four RBI)
