Story courtesy Clarion University Athletics
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) announced their weekly softball awards on Monday. The Golden Eagles swept both of this week’s honors, with Alyssa Stitt earning PSAC West Athlete of the Week honors while Emma Hipps was named the PSAC West Pitcher of the Week. The pair powered the Golden Eagles to two doubleheader sweeps in the final four days of The Spring Games last week, as Clarion extended their win streak to six games.
Stitt is the second straight Golden Eagle to win a conference weekly award. Rachel Helsley won last week’s honor. Hipps is the first Golden Eagle pitcher to win the award this season.
Stitt brought punch on offense and defense, with the senior utility player started two games apiece at shortstop and left field. She played well defensively in both while swinging a hot bat, going went 9-of-16 (.562) at the plate with four doubles, six runs scored and six RBIs.
Several of those hits came at big moments as well, as Stitt went 4-of-6 with runners in scoring position and successfully advanced runners on eight of 10 attempts. Notably, she drove in two runs in Clarion’s win over St. Cloud State on Tuesday, including the go-ahead RBI single in the fifth inning that gave the Golden Eagles the lead for good. Stitt was also responsible for a bases-clearing double in the win over Felician, turning a close game into a certain victory as the Golden Eagles beat the Golden Falcons 8-4.
Hipps, meanwhile was dominant in her two pitching appearances last week, throwing 14 innings without allowing a single run in picking up pitching wins over Wheeling (3/7) and College of Saint Rose (3/10). She entered in relief in the first inning against Wheeling on Tuesday and completely shut down the Cardinals’ offense, retiring the first 15 batters she faced; she allowed just three hits while striking out seven and walking none, as Clarion went on to win 8-3.
In Hipps’ start against the Golden Knights on Friday she was similarly dominant, retiring the first 11 batters of the game. She ultimately surrendered just two hits and three total baserunners (an error) while striking out 12 of her opponents. All told, Hipps allowed just five hits and no runs in 14 innings of work.
