For the second time this season, the University of Central Arkansas swept both baseball and softball awards in the Southland Conference.
BASEBALL
Central Arkansas catcher Michael Marietta was named Southland Conference Hitter of the Week while teammate, right-handed pitcher Bryce Biggerstaff, earned Pitcher of the Week honors.
Marietta paced the Bears’ offense that won three games during the week, which included taking two-of-three from No. 3 Mississippi State over the weekend. The senior from Oak View, Calif., (St. Bonaventure H.S.), went 7-for-15 (.467) with five RBI and four runs scored. Marietta had a run, a hit and RBI in all four games, including two swipes against Grambling in a 10-1 UCA win. He went 3-for-4 in the decisive third game on Sunday, with a run scored an RBI.
On Saturday, he belted a ninth-inning homerun off of the Bulldogs closer to force the game into the decisive 10th inning. Marietta is batting .351 on the season and is seventh in the conference in on-base percentage (.474) and is tied for second in runs scored (16). He sits second in the Southland behind teammate Forrestt Allday in RBI (19) and is tied for fourth in total bases (34).
SOFTBALL
The Central Arkansas softball team has won at least won of the awards five weeks in a row.
Freshman Sarah Bigej was named the conference’s Hitter of the Week, the second time this season she has earned the honor. She batted .667 (8-for-12) to help the Bears go 4-0, including a three game sweep of Stephen F. Austin to open SLC play. Bigej tallied five doubles, four runs, and two RBI and slugged 1.089 on the week and reached base at a .692 clip.
Senior right-hander Kelsie Armstrong earned the SLC’s Pitcher of the Week for the third straight week. She picked up two wins and a save for the Bears. In 16 innings, she allow seven hits and three walks while striking out 24, allowing opposing batters to hit only .132. Armstrong’s ERA for the week was 0.44.