Player of the Week
Peyton Pusey, Marist
Sr., Bear, DE,
Red Lion Christian Academy
In Marist's three-game sweep of MAAC rival Niagara, Peyton Pusey hit .727 (8-for-11) with a 2.205 OPS (1.455 slugging, .750 on-base). She scored five runs, drove in four, belted three extra-base hits, drew a walk, and had multiple hits in each game. In game one of a doubleheader on March 14, Pusey had two of Marist's three hits, and she drove in the tying run on an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. In the second game, she belted two home runs as she went 2-for-3 with three runs scored, two RBIs, and a walk. Her first home run gave Marist a 4-0 lead in the second, and her second was a walk-off in the fifth as Marist earned a 10-2 mercy-rule victory. On March 15, Pusey was the catalyst in Marist's 12-6 victory by going 4-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a triple. The four hits tied a career high. She had two hits and a run scored in Marist's seven-run first. She delivered a two-out RBI single in the second, and scored the game's final run following a triple in the sixth. Pusey had a 1.000 fielding percentage as she recorded 11 putouts in center field over the three games, often using great range to track down fly balls.
Pitcher of the Week
Sam Kowalski, Sacred Heart
Sr., San Clemente, CA, San Clemente
Kowalski was outstanding this week, as she went 2-0 and had a save in three appearances. The senior tallied a 1.40 ERA with 16 strikeouts, finishing the week with two complete-game victories. Kowalski started the week with a perfect seventh inning, striking out two batters on her way to a save against Hofstra. She then led the Pioneers to a series win over Canisius over the weekend. She won both of her starts with complete-game efforts. She struck out seven batters in both wins.
Rookie of the Week
Melissa Gordon, Iona
Fr., Levittown, NY, St. Anthony's
Melissa Gordon had a stellar week for the Iona University softball team this past week. The rookie posted two wins in the circle with a 1.24 earned run average in 17 innings pitched. She opened the week with her first complete game as a Gael, pitching all seven innings in the 9-2 victory over Stony Brook on Wednesday for her first collegiate victory. She then logged her first conference win in game two on Saturday, scattering three hits and two walks in the 10-2 victory over Quinnipiac. The Levittown, NY native closed out the weekend with five innings of relief in Sunday’s setback to the Bobcats.
The 2026 MAAC Softball Championship will take place May 6-9, 2026. The six-team, double-elimination championship will be hosted by the highest seed. For all information regarding the 2026 MAAC Softball Championship, please visit
http://maacsports.com/softball.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
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