May 5, 2014
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame softball junior All-American Emilee Koerner and senior Laura Winter swept the final regular season weekly awards for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) on Monday, as Koerner was named conference player of the week, while Winter was honored as the league’s pitcher of the week.
The player of the week citation for Koerner was her first ACC weekly honor earned during Notre Dame’s inaugural season in the conference, and the fourth overall player of the week award the Irish center fielder has received in her career. Winter was named ACC Pitcher of the Week for the second straight week and third time overall this season. The Irish ace has now earned eight career conference pitcher of the week awards.
Koerner enjoyed her best offensive stretch of 2014 during Notre Dame’s 4-0 week, batting a team-high .769 (10-for-13) with two doubles, a triple, three home runs, eight RBI, a 1.769 slugging percentage, an .800 on-base percentage and nine runs scored. Koerner opened the week with a 3-for-4 effort against Maryland on ESPNU’s ACC Monday, chipping in a solo home run, double, two RBI and two runs to the Irish cause in a run-rule victory.
The Tustin, Calif. native broke her own single-season program record for doubles in Saturday’s first game against Boston College, hitting her ACC leading 22nd two-bagger of the year along with a home run as part of a 3-for-3 day with two RBI and three runs against the Eagles. Koerner kept the momentum rolling in the nightcap, adding two singles and a walk drawn in four plate appearances, chipping in three RBI and two runs scored in a 13-8 win. Batting in the second spot in the Notre Dame lineup for the first time all season in Sunday’s series finale, Koerner laced a triple down the right field line and added a solo home run, accounting for two of four Irish runs in a 4-1 triumph to close the regular season.
Koerner, who tied for the ACC lead with a team-record 57 runs scored in the regular season, is second on the Notre Dame roster with a .417 batting average, 63 hits, three triples, 11 home runs and 44 RBI. During her current 24-game on-base streak, Koerner is hitting .479 (35-for-73) with 12 doubles, six home runs, 28 RBI, a .918 slugging percentage, a .522 on-base percentage and 33 runs scored. Koerner also ranks second on the Irish with 18 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI contests this season.
As the reigning top pitcher in the ACC, Winter went undefeated for the second straight week, posting a 3-0 mark as a starter for the Irish against Maryland and Boston College. She added a .500 batting average (3-for-6) with two home runs, seven RBI and three runs scored at the plate in three games versus Boston College.
Winter allowed one run in five innings on ESPNU’s ACC Monday against Maryland, with no walks and eight strikeouts in prime time. The San Diego, Calif. native struck out eight batters for the second straight game, earning the win in game one of the final ACC series of the season against Boston College by helping her own cause with a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. After hitting a home run and driving in four runs as the designated player in the nightcap on Saturday, Winter shined during her Senior Day outing Sunday, surrendering only four hits in a complete game victory, walking no batters while striking out seven Eagle hitters.
The program’s all-time leader in wins (108) and strikeouts (1,040), Winter became the first Notre Dame pitcher to win at least 25 decisions in four straight seasons with her 25th win of 2014 on Sunday over Boston College.
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2014 Notre Dame Softball ACC Weekly Honorees
ACC Player of the Week
Emilee Koerner – May 5
Karley Wester – Feb. 17
ACC Pitcher of the Week
Laura Winter – May 5
Laura Winter – April 28
Laura Winter – March 10
–ND–
— Tony Jones, Media Relations Assistant