Link to Full A-10 ReleasePHILADELPHIA, Pa. – La Salle softball's
Alicia Aughton has been named Atlantic 10 Player and Pitcher of Week for games played April 14 – 20. The junior came up huge during the Blue and Gold's biggest home stand of the season, leading the Explorers to a 3-1 record against Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She is the first player that has earned both player and pitcher honors in the same week this season.
The junior finished the week 5-for-9 (.555) at the plate with two homers, adding four RBIs and three runs scored.
In the circle she posted a 3-0 record, allowing just one earned run while scattering nine hits over 19.0 dazzling innings of work.
Aughton has been one of the primary cogs in the Explorers surprising emergence as one of the top teams in the conference this season. She entered the week leading the conference with a 1.85 earned run average and a .216 opponents batting average against. Both those statistics were amazingly lowered as Aughton starred in a series split against the Minutewomen and a doubleheader sweep of the Rams.
Aughton got the ball to start the series opener against Massachusetts on Thursday afternoon. She picked up right where she left off against George Mason the Saturday prior, twirling a masterful seven-inning gem against one of the conference's top hitting teams. The ace stymied the Minutewomen to the tune of two hits and one walk, while fanning four, in the complete game shutout. Aughton completed the storybook day by crushing a walk-off three-run homer to earn the long awaited win over their A-10 counterpart.
Aughton was brilliant yet again on Saturday afternoon. She threw a complete game in Game 1, allowing just two runs (one earned) in the Explorers 6-2 victory. The junior came on in relief with the Explorers trailing 2-1 in Game 2. She stifled the Rams, holding them to just two hits over the final five scoreless frames. She also sparked the Explorers comeback, hitting a leadoff solo homer to break a 2-2 tie in the fourth. La Salle went on to plate four more runs in the inning to break the game open in the 8-2 victory.
After the weekend, Aughton's record now sits at 11-7 on the year. She leads the conference with a 1.57 earned run average – an astounding .74 margin from the next closest player – and a .203 opponents batting average against.
The Explorers have another big week ahead of them, as they will take on Big 5 rival St. Joseph's for a weekday doubleheader on Wednesday. The Blue and Gold then return home for their final home stand of the season on Saturday, as they take on Fordham in a clash of the conference's top two teams.
