Feb. 26, 2001
The 14th-ranked University of Notre Dame softball team, off to the its best start ever with a 8-1 record in 2001, had two players recognized by the BIG EAST Conference for their performances last weekend.
Junior Jenny Kreich (Indianapolis, Ind.) was named the BIG EAST Player-of-the-Week after posting six hits in four games at the Morning News Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., last weekend (Feb. 23-25). In an 8-0 victory over Maine on Saturday, Feb. 24, Kriech was three-for-three, including a game-ending three-run triple. She finished the tournament with a .545 batting average (six-for-11) and was named to the Morning News Invitational all-tournament team.
Senior All-American Jen Sharron (Agoura Hills, Calif.), a three-time BIG EAST Pitchher-of-the-Year, began the 2001 season in traditional style by capturing the first BIG EAST Pitcher-of-the-Week award. She allowed just one earned run in two starts last weekend, including a one-hit shutout victory against Texas Tech on Friday. That 4-0 win over the Red Raiders included a seven-hour rain delay after the third inning. She joined Kriech and Irish catcher Jarrah Myers (Carbondale, Kan.) on the Morning News Invitational all-tournament team.
Sharron also did some damage at the plate over the weekend. With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth against Arkansas on Saturday night, Sharron launched a 0-2 pitch far over the centerfield fence to give her team a three-run lead. Notre Dame eventually won the game 4-3. She currently boasts a 0.55 ERA this season with 40 strikeouts.
Next up for the Irish will be the Frost Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn., March 2-4.