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Amanda Triplett and Shannon Rachel, two members of the Mount Vernon Nazarene College women's fastpitch softball team, swept the American Mideast Conference and NAIA Region IX Player and Pitcher of the Week honors for the week of April 22-28.
Triplett, a senior first baseman from Rockford, Ohio, batted .556 for the week as the Lady Cougars went 4-2. The former All-Ohioan at Parkway High School was 10-for-18 with three doubles, two home runs, six runs scored, seven runs batted in, and one stolen base.
In a doubleheader sweep against the University of Rio Grande, Triplett went 5-for-7 with with three runs scored and five RBI. She also went 5-for-11 in four games at the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament as MVNC finished fifth and she was named to the All-Tournament Team.
For the season, Triplett leads the Lady Cougars in nearly every offensive category with a .427 batting average, 50 hits, 14 doubles, one triple, a school-record nine home runs, 25 runs scored, and 37 RBI. She has shown her versatility by playing four different positions and also serving as the designated player.
Rachel, a freshman right-handed pitcher from Galion, Ohio, went 3-0 for the week with one save and a 1.22 earned run average. In 23 innings of work, the former All-Ohioan at Colonel Crawford High School gave up just four earned runs and had a hand in all four of the team's wins for the week.
In the sweep of Rio Grande, Rachel posted a complete game victory in the first game and tossed the final two innings of the second game to record her first collegiate save. At the NCCAA National Tournament, she notched wins against Hillsdale Freewill Baptist (Okla.) College and Cedarville University. In the victory over Cedarville, she posted the first shutout of her career as she gave up just six hits.
For the season, Rachel has posted an impressive 15-5 overall record with one save and a 2.49 ERA. In 135 innings of work, she has allowed just 48 earned runs with 35 strikeouts. She has had the win or save in all but three of the Lady Cougars' victories this year.
MVNC is currently 19-19 overall and 10-12 in the AMC. The Lady Cougars have three conference doubleheaders remaining in the regular season. The team will travel to Carlow (Pa.) College on Thursday for a 3:00 p.m. twinbill as the first stop on a three-day swing through Pennsylvania.
