March 3, 2003
University of Notre Dame softball senior Andrea Loman was named co-BIG EAST Player of the Week on Monday, March 3, after helping the Irish to a 3-2 record at the Louisiana Classic last weekend. It is the first weekly award Notre Dame (6-6) has earned this season.
Loman led the Irish with seven RBI during the tournament, hosted by Louisiana-Lafayette. She was eight for 16 at the plate with a team-high three doubles, along with two stolen bases and one home run. The Riverside, Calif., native is batting .368 on the season with a team-best nine RBI and four stolen bases. Loman was also named the Louisiana Classic all-tournament team.
In other Irish softball news, four Notre Dame players were named the Louisiana Classic all-tournament team. Andrea Loman was joined by sophomore Liz Hartmann, junior Nicole deFau and senior Andria Bledsoe.
Hartmann contributed two of the team highlights from the weekend. In Notre Dame’s come-from-behind victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday, Feb. 28, she hit a solo home run to tie up the game in the bottom of the ninth. Hartmann eventually delivered the game-winning three-run blast in the ninth inning as well. She finished the tournament five of 16 at the plate with three home runs and five RBI.
deFau used five hits over the weekend to raise her season batting average to .400 – the best on the team so far in 2003. She also hit her second career home run during the tournament.
Bledsoe joined Hartmann as one of two Irish players to blast three home runs during the tournament. The senior short stop has been on an offensive tear lately, raising her batting average from .111 six games ago to a solid .306 mark as of Monday, March 3. During the Louisiana Classic, Bledsoe was six of 14 at the plate with seven runs scored, three home runs and five RBI.
The complete Louisiana Classic all-tournament team:
Becky McMurtry, ULL*
Michael Parrott, ULL
Andrea Loman, Notre Dame
Liz Hartmann, Notre Dame
Summar Lapeyrouse, ULL
Sarina Noack, NW State
Nicole deFau, Notre Dame
Danyele Gomez, ULL
Jill Robertson, ULL
Andria Bledsoe, Notre Dame
Tiffany Grayson, ULL
Nicole Martin, NW State
Lauren Castle, ULL
* – Most Outstanding Player