Marist's Korak, Iona's Evans & Niagara's Watkins Earn MAAC Softball Weekly Awards
MAAC Sports
Player of the Week
Janna Korak, Marist
Sr., OF, Huntsville, AL/Sparkman
Janna Korak hit .682 (15-22) with a .731 on-base percentage and 1.409 slugging percentage for an OPS of 2.140 in Marist’s six games this past week, as the Red Foxes went 5-1. Eight of her hits went for extra bases (four homers, four doubles), and had 10 RBI and eight runs scored. She had five multi-hit games, and hit safely in all six contests. She also drew four walks. In a doubleheader at Boston University on April 19, Korak went 6-7 on the day with three doubles, including a 4-4 performance with four RBIs and two doubles in game two alone. At Saint Peter’s on April 22, she hit three homers in a doubleheader while going 6-8 with five runs and four RBI. Her first homer came in the seventh inning of game one, and started a six-run rally as Marist came back to win, 9-5. She then went 3-4 with three RBI, three runs, and two homers in Marist’s game two victory. She closed out the week by going 3-7 in the Red Foxes doubleheader split at Manhattan on April 23. Her two-run homer provided the winning runs in the eighth inning of Marist’s 5-3 victory in game two.
Pitcher of the Week
Alana Evans, Iona
So., P, Goleta, CA/Dos Pueblos
Alana Evans takes home her second consecutive MAAC Pitcher of the Week award. The sophomore pitched in three games for the Gaels, recording a 0.48 ERA in 14.2 innings thrown. She struck out a total of 17 batters and allowed just five hits and one earned run. In relief on April 19 against Stony Brook, Evans went 2.2 scoreless innings, and allowed just one hit. On April 22 against Quinnipiac, Evans surrendered just one hit while striking out five in a shortened 8-0 victory. Evans threw a complete game against Fairfield on April 23, allowed one run, earned, on three hits, struck out nine, and walked four. Her record on the season stands at 14-3, and she has allowed just one earned run over her last 23.2 innings pitched.
Rookie of the Week
Kendall Watkins, Niagara
Fr., INF, Williamsport, PA/Loyalsock Township
Kendall Watkins went 7-16 last week with eight RBI, three home runs, one double, and five runs scored as the Niagara Purple Eagles went 4-2 on a six-game road trip. Watkins hit a two-run home run against Syracuse, to make it a 7-1 game after four full innings of play. The two-run homer proved to be the difference as Niagara held on for its first-ever win over Syracuse. In MAAC play last week, Watkins drove in four of Niagara’s six runs, going 3-3 in a 6-3 win at Monmouth on April 22. She had a two-run home run in the first inning against the Hawks, and her RBI single in the top of the third proved to be the game-winning run for Niagara. In a doubleheader sweep at Rider on April 23, Watkins went 3-6 in the two-game set with one home run, one double, and two RBI.