Monday, February 19, 2007

MACON, Ga. -- Campbell’s Lauren Caviness was named Atlantic Sun Softball Pitcher of the Week and Lipscomb's Kellie Sirus was named Player of the Week by the league office Monday afternoon.

Caviness didn’t allow an earned run in 15 innings of work at the UNC Greensboro Invitational over the weekend posting a perfect 2-0 record. The Fuquay-Varina, N.C. native struck out 11 batters over the two games moving her within 105 of the Campbell school record. Caviness set the Campbell single-season strikeout record last season with 166 and is averaging 6.8 strikeouts per seven innings this season.

The junior pharmacy major moved into a fifth-place tie with teammate Kelly Weaver with nine career shutouts and lowered her ERA to 0.85 for the season. Caviness yielded just six hits in the victories over Morehead State (2-0) and Ohio (3-0). This is her third career A-Sun Pitcher of the Week honor after receiving the distinction twice last season. Caviness is the second Fighting Camel to receive conference honors this season as Jessica Huffman was named A-Sun Player of the Week last week .

Sirus blasted three home runs in four games Saturday and Sunday. She nailed a three-run home run in a 4-0 win over Coastal Carolina Saturday. The rookie third baseman hit a grand slam home run and RBI-double in 7-6 loss to Elon later that day.

In Sunday's rematch with Elon, Sirus hit a two-run homer in the 5-2 win. The Sarasota, Fla. native drove in 10 runs in four games. The Bisons are off to a 5-1 start.

The Atlantic Sun Conference hands out Player of the Week awards each Monday during the 2007 softball season.

The 12-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, UNF and Stetson with Florida Gulf Coast and USC Upstate beginning competition in 2007-08.

Other Top Performers

Emily Sherrill, GWU (Fr. - C/IF - Midland, N.C. - Undeclared) -- Sherrill hit .500 for the week and drove in eight runs. Almost single-handedly defeated Liberty, driving in 5 of the 9 runs in the 9-5 win.

Katie Buell, JU (Sr. - P - Ballground, Ga. - Computer Art and Design) -- Buell tallied 7.1 scoreless innings in the Dolphins' 2-1 extra innings win over Memphis on Feb. 16. She finished the game allowing one unearned run on seven hits and fanned seven batters.

Christen Campbell, Lip (Fr. - P - Lakeland, Tenn. - Pre-Med) -- Campbell, a right-hander, extrended her season record to 3-0 with two wins Both victories were complete games. She also relieved Saturday with two scoreless innings in 7-6 loss to Elon .

Jamie Madruga, MER (Jr. - 1B - Warner Robins, Ga. - Criminal Justice) -- Madruga hit .500 (8-16), with four runs, two home runs and nine RBIs.

Eilzabeth Howell, UNF (Fr. - 3B - Bartow, Fla. - Public Relations) -- Howell drove home the winning run in a 3-2 UNF victory over James Madison that gave the Lady Ospreys a third-place finish at the event.