March 7, 2016
by Tony Jones
NOTRE DAME, Ind. ââ’¬” After a second straight dominant weekend in the circle for the University of Notre Dame softball team senior pitcher Allie Rhodes was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Co-Pitcher of the Week on Monday, sharing the honor with Florida State’s Jessica Burroughs. The ACC Pitcher of the Week nod was the first career weekly conference citation for Rhodes, and was the first such award earned by a Notre Dame player in 2016.
Rhodes strung together two impressive starts to log a 2-0 record at the FGCU Spring Break Classic this past weekend in Fort Myers, Florida. The Kirkland, Washington native allowed five hits in 13 innings of work, walking one batter while striking out 14 opposing hitters.
Rhodes spun a three-hit complete game with one walk and a career-high tying 10 strikeouts Saturday night against tournament host FGCU. The Notre Dame southpaw previously reached the 10-strikeout mark earlier this season in a victory over East Carolina (Feb. 26).
She followed with six shutout innings on Sunday against Stony Brook, yielding two hits with no walks and strikeouts of four Seawolves hitters. No Stony Brook runner advanced past second base against Rhodes during the contest.
Dating back to a start against Cal Poly on Feb. 20, Rhodes is 6-0 with a 1.24 ERA and two saves, posting 45 strikeouts to only five walks in 39.2 innings pitched. She is Notre Dame’s team leader with seven wins, two saves and 72 strikeouts in 12 appearances (nine starts) thus far this season, all totals that rank in the top three of the ACC.
Notre Dame resumes its Spring Break travel schedule with a non-conference doubleheader at FIU on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. (ET) at Felsberg Field at FIU Stadium in Miami.
For the latest news and updates on all things Notre Dame softball, visit www.und.com/softball, follow the Irish @NDsoftball and @NDcoachGumpf on Twitter and at Instagram.com/notredamesoftball, and Like the team at Facebook.com/NDSoftball.
2016 Notre Dame Softball Weekly Honorees
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Pitcher of the Week
Allie Rhodes ââ’¬” March 7 (Co)
Tony Jones, athletics communications assistant at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2012 and coordinates all media efforts for the Notre Dame softball and men’s soccer programs. A native of Jamestown, New York, Jones is a 2011 graduate of St. Bonaventure University, and prior to arriving at Notre Dame held positions at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and with the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills.