LAFAYETTE (Press Release) – A productive week at the plate, featuring four multiple-hit games and five RBI in two-out situations, netted Alissa Dalton the Week 7 Community Coffee Sun Belt Conference Softball Player of the Week award.
Louisiana’s junior shortstop hit .643 (9-for-14) and recorded a week-long .706 on base percentage, reaching base 12 times in 17 plate appearances.
Dalton started the week with a three-hit effort vs. McNeese, then collected two hits each game of the South Alabama series on the way to a series-best six hits (6-for-9).
All of the clutch RBI delivered by Dalton came over the final two games in Mobile as Louisiana posted its third SBC series sweep in as many weeks. Her home run on Saturday, a three-run shot, broke a scoreless tie and jumpstarted the offense as Louisiana clinched the program’s 49th consecutive SBC series win.
Dalton accounted for at least two runs scored in Mobile which increased her week’s total to seven.
“Alissa has been working really hard, and is starting to understand her mental approach,” Louisiana Softball head coach Gerry Glasco said. “In her at bat with the bases loaded in the series finale, she fouled off two or three pitches with two strikes, and because she’s becoming a smarter offensive player was able to make the adjustment for another clutch hit.”
It’s the first career SBC weekly award for Dalton and the third consecutive week that a Ragin’ Cajun has claimed one of the conference’s weekly honors.
Louisiana (26-4, 9-0 Sun Belt) has now claimed seven SBC weekly awards in 2019. After opening weekend, Raina O’Neal and Kandra Lamb claimed SBC Player and Pitcher of the Week, the following week Summer Ellyson was awarded the pitching honor and was the recipient once again on March 12. Last week, Ellyson and Julie Rawls swept the awards.
Louisiana, which has received at least one SBC Player and Pitcher of the Week award since the inception of the league in 2000, now owns 91 player of the week awards.
No. 10 Louisiana closes out the month of March in Statesboro, Ga. in a Sun Belt Conference series at Georgia Southern (16-14, 3-6 Sun Belt). The Ragin’ Cajuns and Eagles are scheduled to meet Friday-Sunday, March 29-31 at Eagle Field at GS Softball Complex.
2019 LOUISIANA SOFTBALL SUN BELT PLAYER/PITCHER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
Feb. 12 – Raina O’Neal (Player of the Week)
Feb. 12 – Kandra Lamb (Pitcher of the Week)
Feb. 19 – Summer Ellyson (Pitcher of the Week)
Mar. 12 – Summer Ellyson (Pitcher of the Week)
Mar. 19 – Julie Rawls (Player of the Week)
Mar. 19 – Summer Ellyson (Pitcher of the Week)
Mar. 26 – Alissa Dalton (Player of the Week
