Ball State University Athletics
Softball Sweeps MAC West Division Weekly Awards
March 09, 2016 | Softball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - - For their play at the FGCU/Four Points Spring Break Classic last weekend, Ball State softball senior pitcher Nicole Steinbach (Merrillville, Ind./Andrean) and senior shortstop Emily Dabkowski (Plainfield, Ind./South Putnam) have swept the Mid-American Conference West Division weekly awards.
Steinbach was named the MAC West Division Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season and the 12th time in her career after leading the Ball State pitching staff with a 2.33 ERA over 18.0 innings of work at the three day event. Despite posting a 1-2 record in the circle, Steinbach also held opposing batters to a .246 average and chalked up 15 strikeouts.
Steinbach opened the tournament with a strong outing versus Stony Brook, allowing just two hits and one earned run in a 1-0 loss. She struck out five batters over the course of 6.0 innings and only walked one batter. She followed with another dominating performance versus Florida Gulf Coast University, striking out a season-high eight batters while allowing just seven hits and one earned run in an eight-inning, 3-2 victory over the tournament hosts. She ended the weekend by striking out a pair of batters in a 7-1 loss to 21st-ranked Notre Dame.
Dabkowski was named the MAC West Division Player of the Week for the first time this season and the second time in her career after recording a hit in all five of Ball State's games at the FGCU/Four Points Spring Break Classic to raise her then-active hitting streak to seven games. She also reached base safely in 11 consecutive games, prior to Tuesday's loss versus Illinois State.
For the week, Dabkowski went .333 (5-for-15) from the plate with a double and two home runs. She drove in seven RBI, while scoring four times to account for nine of Ball State's 21 runs at the FGCU Spring Break Classic. Dabkowski entered the tournament as the MAC's RBI leader, and with seven more over the five games, she raised her season total to 23 entering this week.
Dabkowski's biggest game of the tournament came in the 14-1 (5) win over Stony Brook, when she tallied five RBI and scored a pair of runs thanks to a three-run home run, a sacrifice fly and a RBI fielders' choice.
The Ball State softball team returns to action later this afternoon when it battles No. 25 UCF at 5:30 p.m. at the UCF Softball Complex.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State softball, follow the team on Twitter: @BallStateSB, @CoachCBartlett & @BallStateSports / Instagram: ballstatesb / Facebook: BallStateSoftball.
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