SLIAC Players of the Week - March 18

SLIAC/Diamond Sports Baseball Hitter of the Week
Eric Meyer, Spalding University

Eric Meyer grabs Hitter of the Week honors after going 8-for-13 in a three-game series against Thomas More and hitting a walk-off home run for Spalding in their only win of the series. Meyer, a junior from Frankfort, Ky., hit .615 over the weekend series, scoring 5 runs and driving in 10 while hitting 3 long balls. 

SLIAC/Diamond Sports Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Adrian Santiago, Webster University

Santiago, a senior from Chicago, Ill., was a key member for the Gorloks last week as he made three appearances out of the bullpen. Santiago recorded the win against Rhode Island, working two innings of relief and allowing just two hits with two strikeouts. He came back two days later to record a save in the Gorloks win over #9 ranked UMass-Boston, throwing three innings and striking out five while allowing no hits. He closed out his week with another save, working 2/3 of an inning against Benedictine (Ill.). On the week he struck out 7 in 5 2/3 innings and allowed just two hits and no runs.

SLIAC Softball Hitter of the Week
Lauren Daugherty, Principia College

Lauren Daugherty, a catcher, hit .650 with 9 RBI and 4 runs scored in helping the Panthers to three wins last week. Daugherty tallied four multi-hit games including a four-hit outing against Haskell. She also drove in multiple runs in four of her six games with a high of three in a win over Harris-Stowe. Daugherty finished 13-for-20 at the plate with a slugging percentage of .800 and a .682 on-base percentage. She also added one stolen base and did not strike out in her six games while drawing two walks.

SLIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Morgan Christner, Iowa Wesleyan University

Morgan Christner is the SLIAC Pitcher of the Week after notching two wins for the Tigers last week. Christner, a junior from New London, Iowa, started five games for Iowa Wesleyan, throwing 24 innings and finishing with a 2.63 earned-run average. Christner totaled 36 strikeouts in her five appearances with a high of 12 in a complete game shutout win over Immaculata. 

SLIAC Men's Tennis Player of the Week
Justin Tilford, Greenville University

Justin Tilford, a senior at Greenville University, went 9-0 last week to push his overall record this season to 16-1. Tilford, from Normal, Ill., played at #3 singles for the Panthers and picked up five singles wins. He added four more wins at #2 doubles, with his teammate Ty Blume. 

SLIAC Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Courtney Blaser, Greenville University

Blaser, a junior from Moline, Ill., picked up six wins for the Panthers last week over spring break. Playing at #4 singles she was 4-1 on the week including an impressive 6-1, 6-0 win over Nebraska Wesleyan. Blaser also added two more wins in doubles, with partner Claudia Principal, as they defeated St. Mary's (Md.) and Cornell. 

SLIAC Men's Field Athlete of the Week
DeAngelo Kelly, Webster University

DeAngelo Kelly, a freshman from St. Louis, Mo., made his outdoor collegiate debut for the Gorloks with a 5th place finish at the Rhodes Invitational. Kelly placed 5th in the triple jump with a distance of 13.05 meters, currently ranking him 25th in Division III. 

SLIAC Men's Track Athlete of the Week
Jacob Ridenhour, Webster University

Ridenhour, a sophomore from Jerseyville, Ill., competed in three events over the weekend and picked up three top-four finishes. He broke the school record in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.67 seconds, finishing 3rd overall. He also placed 4th in the 200-meter dash with a personal best time of 21.60 seconds and was a member of the 4x100 meter relay team that finished 2nd at the Rhodes Invitational.

SLIAC Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Daisha Reece, Webster University

Daisha Reece fought her way back from an injury to finish 2nd in the long jump at the Rhodes Invitational. Reece, a junior, tallied a mark of 5.46 meters, setting a new program record. She is currently 9th in Division III in the long jump.

SLIAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Minnell Fundora, Webster University

Fundora notched a pair of personal records over the weekend for Webster University. She set a new mark in the mile with a time of 5:15, finishing 2nd overall and setting a new mark by seven seconds. Fundora followed with a 4th place finish in the 800-meter race with a new personal best time of 2:20.

Other Notables

• Lexi Becker, Fontbonne University (Softball) Worked 9 1/3 innings, allowing just one run while striking out three against Hanover.
• Olivia Carter, Spalding University (Softball) Recorded 3 wins and 16 strikeouts in four starts for the Golden Eagles.
• Alex Eyman, Iowa Wesleyan University (Softball) Drove in 13 runs for the Tigers in nine games last week with three multi-hit games.
• Ally Klein, Spalding University (Softball) Hit .538 over four games, scoring six times.
• Beth Mersinger, Greenville University (Softball) Hit .407 with 9 RBI in eight games for the Panthers last week including a three-hit game against Lycoming.
• Darian Morlan, Webster University (Softball) Hit .455 with 4 RBI for the Gorloks last week.
• Riley Muren, Webster University (Men's Tennis) Recorded four wins on the week, dropping just 11 games in three singles matches. 
• Katie Price, Westminster College (Softball) Price went 5-for-5 with 3 runs and 3 RBI in one game against Central Methodist.
• A.J. Smith, Webster University (Baseball) Was 2-for-3 with 3 runs scored and 5 RBI in the Gorloks win over Rhode Island. 
• Maegan Stone, Greenville University (Softball) Was 2-0 in the circle with a 0.53 earned-run average and 10 strikeouts.
• Luke Summers, Fontbonne University (Baseball) Summers continues to pile up the strikeouts, striking out nine in his lone start of the week; a six-inning win over Robert Morris-Springfield.