RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference announced the league's 10th softball weekly awards for the 2021 season. Harding's Chelsea Blankenship earned Player of the Week while Southeastern Oklahoma State's Cheyenne Mahy and Southern Nazarene's Brooklyn Sparkman shared Pitcher of the Week.
GAC SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Chelsea Blankenship, Harding, C, Fr., Haslet, Texas
Blankenship carried the Lady Bisons offense as part of their 5-0 week as she went 9-for-15 in the five games. After not hitting a home run in any of Harding's first 30 games, she hit three in the five-game stretch, including a game slam in the second game of its series with Northwestern Oklahoma State. She drove in a total of nine runs and slugged 1.267.
GAC SOFTBALL CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Cheyenne Mahy, Southeastern Oklahoma State, RHP, So., Atwater, California
Mahy picked up her second GAC weekly honor of the season as she pitched 12.0 innings of scoreless softball in the Savage Storm's series against Ouachita. In her first start, she threw a seven-hit shutout in a 1-0 contest. In the series finale, she entered with the Savage Storm behind 2-0. She threw 5.0 hitless frames as they rallied for an extra-inning victory.
GAC SOFTBALL CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Brooklyn Sparkman, Southern Nazarene, RHP, Sr., Kingfisher, Oklahoma
Sparkman earned a pair of victories for the Crimson Storm against Arkansas-Monticello. In two appearances, totaling 11.0 innings inside the circle, she held the Blossoms to four hits and she did not allow an earned run. She struck out eight and limited UAM to a .108 batting average against her.
OTHERS NOMINATED
Makenzie Addis, OF (Arkansas Tech), Alese Casper, CF (Southern Arkansas), Gracie Ore, OF (Southeastern Oklahoma State), Sloane Precure, 3B (Ouachita), Mahina Sauer, 1B (Southern Nazarene)
Jessica Bridges, RHP (Harding), Maddie Prough, RHP (Arkansas Tech), Nikki Schneider, RHP (Ouachita), Sydney Wader, RHP (Southern Arkansas)