Lenoir-Rhyne’s Rivers, Wingate’s Smith Named Softball Players Of The Week

ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Lenoir-Rhyne University's Kat Rivers has been named the South Atlantic Conference Softball Player of the Week and Wingate University's Allison Smith earned league Pitcher of the Week honors for the week ending March 21, announced conference officials Monday.

Rivers, a junior shortstop from Royston, Ga. (Franklin County HS), batted .429 (nine-for-21) for the week with four home runs and 12 runs batted in to lead Lenoir-Rhyne to a 5-1 record. She started the week with a game-winning, three-run home run in the top of the 10th inning in L-R's 4-1 victory over USC Aiken Tuesday on the road before hitting a round-tripper in both games of a doubleheader versus No. 12 Augusta State on the road Wednesday. Rivers finished the week with five hits and five RBI including a two-run home run in a sweep over SAC-foe Lincoln Memorial Saturday at home. Rivers, a 2009 all-league and all-region honoree, leads No. 20 Lenoir-Rhyne (29-5, 2-0) in numerous offensive categories including batting average (.473), runs scored (43), home runs (15) and runs batted in (37) this season.

Kat Rivers

Allison Smith

Smith, a junior right-hander from Daleville, Va. (Manhattan College), went 3-0 on the week with a 1.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts, helping the 16th-ranked Bulldogs to a 6-0 week as they improve to 25-3 on the season. She allowed two earned runs in the 6-3 win at UNC Pembroke. Smith struck out five while allowing one earned run in the 4-2 win over Georgia College. She capped her week with a one-hit shutout against conference foe Tusculum, striking out 10 without walking a batter. Smith allowed only one extra-base hit on the week, and walked only one in 21 innings of work.