(Story Courtesy of Texas Lutheran University Sports Information Department)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- No. 1 Texas Lutheran softball's Ashlyn Strother was named the Wilson/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) National Division-III Pitcher of the Week Tuesday afternoon following yet another stellar weekend in the circle for the Bulldogs.
Strother was named Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season on Monday, March 14.
Strother appeared in three of Texas Lutheran's five games last week, including two conference games against Schreiner, making three starts and earning a win in each as Texas Lutheran currently rides a ten-game winning streak.
The sophomore right hander shutout her opponents over 17.2 innings pitched, striking out 32 batters and allowing just nine hits over the entire week. Strother had double-digit strikeouts in all three of her contests. Strother has now racked up double-digit strikeouts in five of her last six appearances, including three-straight last week and has amassed 63 strikeouts during that stretch.
The Seabrook, Texas, native opened the week with a complete game shutout against Case Western Reserve. Strother struck out 10 batters, allowing just four hits, en route to a 5-0 victory to open the week.
Strother would take the circle in Texas Lutheran's conference opener at Schreiner Saturday afternoon and would continue her strong week with another complete game shutout in the Bulldogs 9-0 run-rule victory over the Mountaineers - striking out 12 Mountaineers on the evening.
One day after her shutout, Strother would take the circle again against the Mountaineers in a 7-0 victory - tossing five shutout innings against the Mountaineers and striking out ten as the Bulldogs held the Mountaineers scoreless for the duration of the series. Strother retired 33 of the 40 batters she faced in the weekend series, allowing just five hits in two games while striking out 22.
With nine starts on the season, Strother now leads the (SCAC) in strikeouts and is third nationally with 77 strikeouts. Her 1.11 ERA (8 ER/50.2 IP) ranks second in the SCAC.
