March 30, 2010
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For the second time in the last three weeks, Notre Dame swept the BIG EAST Conference’s weekly softball awards, announced by the league Monday. Junior Sadie Pitzenberger became the second repeat winner for the Player of the Week distinction and third-year starter Jody Valdivia earned her third Pitcher of the Week award this season (the only league hurler to earn the award multiple times). Notre Dame won every game last week by at least four runs, winning five by nine or more.
Pitzenberger set a Notre Dame record by extending her hitting streak to 24 games. Her two triples on the week gave her six this season, which ties her for second in the nation. The outfielder added to her statistical totals with four doubles, 12 runs, 11 RBI and a stolen base while going 14-for-26 (.538) at the plate. Six of her 14 hits went for extra bases and she now has a team-high 13 multi-hit games this season. The final game of the week against Seton Hall (March 28) saw Pitzenberger go 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI.
Valdivia went 5-0 with three shutouts (two solo, one combined), including her first career no-hitter during Notre Dame’s BIG EAST opener at Seton Hall (March 27). The junior has now won 17 straight games, 35 of her last 37 starts, and is 12-0 in her last 12 BIG EAST decisions with her last loss coming to Providence in 2008. She struck out 32 batters in 26.0 innings with 20 of them coming in two starts against the Pirates.
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