Lopez wins Reddies’ first Player of the Week award of season

ARKADELPHIA — Henderson State senior first baseman Alexia Lopez was named the Great American Conference’s Softball Player of the Week Monday, becoming the first member of the team receive the award this season.

The Odessa, Texas, native and a transfer from Kilgore College hit 8-for-13 at the plate with 10 RBIs, two home runs and a double as Henderson (22-13, 14-10) swept Arkansas-Monticello (4-29,

4-18) in four games on Friday and Saturday at Dee White Field in Arkadelphia.

Lopez had one hit on the season and a .067 batting average before Henderson’s series with East Central (15-19, 10-14) on March

23-24. She now has an eight-game hitting streak, going 13-for-22,

.590, during that stretch with six hits for extra bases. She is now tied for second on the team with three home runs and ranks third in batting average at .378 and RBIs with 13.

Madie Green, a freshman outfielder from Timber Creek High School in Keller, Texas, ranks first on the team with a .393 average, seven home runs, 42 hits,

26 runs scored and 25 RBIs. Fellow freshman Lindsey Williams, an infielder from Conway, ranks second at .392.

Lopez is the first Reddie this season to earn Player of the Week recognition. Green and Williams have each been named Freshman of the Week. Senior Sydney Bonner, of Sheridan, was selected as the Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 19.

Also nominated for Player of the Week were Catherine Barrera, sophomore, East Central; Cheyenne Demaree, sophomore, Oklahoma Baptist; Amanda Fields, freshman, Harding; Megan Godoyo, senior, Southern Arkansas; Sydnee Hinkle, junior, Southeastern Oklahoma State; Morgan Kirk, junior, Northwestern Oklahoma State; Paige Mendoza, junior, Arkansas Tech; and Sydni Toilolo, senior, Southern Nazarene.

Southern Nazarene senior Katelyn Brown was named the Pitcher of the Week. The nominees included Amanda Berry, sophomore, Harding; Megan Goodnight, junior, Arkansas Tech; Destiny Riddle, junior, Southeastern; Bailee Saye, senior, Oklahoma Baptist; and Victoria Taylor, sophomore, Southern Arkansas.

Green was nominated for freshman honors again after scoring five runs with a .538 average and a .600 on-base percentage against Monticello. Oklahoma Baptist’s Dani Manning was announced Monday as the Freshman of the Week. The other nominees were Victoria Rodriguez, Southern Nazarene; Hallie Saintignan, Southern Arkansas; and Elexis Watson, Southeastern.

Henderson is scheduled for a home doubleheader today with Ouachita Baptist (13-18, 9-15). The Reddies will then travel to Magnolia on Friday and Saturday for four games with No. 7 Southern Arkansas (32-4, 21-3).

The Sentinel-Record/Grace Brown RESILIENT PITCHER: Fountain Lake pitcher Hannah Vaughn (6) works during a game against Malvern Monday. The freshman picked up loss for the Lady Cobras, pitching all four innings of an 18-1 loss..

Submitted photo PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Henderson State senior first baseman Alexia Lopez hit 8-for-13 with 10 RBIs, two home runs and a double in a four-game sweep of Arkansas-Monticello this weekend to be named the GAC Softball Player of the Week.