Kara Rutenbar and the Ospreys have won seven of their last 10 games. Image courtesy of UNFOspreys.com
Date Posted: 4/21/2008
MACON, Ga. - Brittany Matthews of Kennesaw State earned her fifth Atlantic Sun Softball Pitcher of the Week Award after striking out 36 batters in 19.2 innings of work. Matthews also became the single-season strikeout leader for the Owls. Offensively, UNF's Kara Rutenbar helped the Ospreys to a 4-2 week by hitting .444 and driving in six runs to win the Atlantic Sun Player of the Week Award, the conference announced on Monday.
Matthews continued her dominance in the circle as the senior lefty went 2-0 last week with a pair of saves. The professional sales major and Brooks, Ga. native appeared in all five games during the week and pitched 19.2 innings, allowing just nine total hits. She struck out 14 twice during the week; once against Campbell and once against Mercer. She struck out three in each of her relief appearances against those two squads. With the second strikeout in her relief appearance against Mercer, Matthews broke the single-season strikeout mark at Kennesaw State. Her 273 strikeouts rank as the seventh-largest single-season total in A-Sun history.
Kara Rutenbar, a sophomore from Lakeland, Fla., led the Lady Ospreys with a pair of home runs, doubling her season total in only six games. The second of her two long balls came against conference front-runner Florida Gulf Coast, as the Ospreys took one of two from the Eagles. In the Ospreys’ win against Stetson, Rutenbar drove in the game-winning RBI. For the week she slugged .889.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
Other Top Performers:
Erica Demers, STET (Jr. - P - Communication Studies - Miami, Fla.) - Demers issued three shutouts and didn’t allow an earned run in three starts, striking out 19 batters along the way. Her 31 career shutouts is third in A-Sun history.
Melody Harrell, GWU (So. - SS - Undeclared - Wilmington, N.C.) - Harrell helped the Bulldogs clinch a spot in the A-Sun Championship by hitting .571 with five RBI and three stolen bases.
Alaina Jacobson, LIP (So. - P - Biology - Crocker, Mo.) - The right-hander pitched two complete-game shutouts while allowing only eight hits.
Jessie Hackworth, ETSU (Jr. - 3B - Sport Management - Clinton, Tenn.) - Hackworth hit .455 with a pair of multi-hit games, driving in five runs and scoring two.
Christine Murray, GWU (So. - P - Undeclared - Ontario, Canada) - Murray didn’t allow an earned run in two games, including one complete-game shutout. She fanned 18 batters during the week.
Blythe Golden, STET (Sr. - C - Sport Management - Marianna, Fla.) - The senior hit .438 with a home run, a double and four RBI.
