Lady Wolves Duo Sweep Conference Honors
JACKSON – Just three days after claiming their first MACCC Softball Championship since 2009, the Lady Wolves have two more awards to claim from their performances last week. The MACCC announced the softball pitcher and player of the week with Cera Blanchard (Metairie, La.), and Maddie Weeks (Clinton) taking the honors.
Blanchard had a superb performance in the circle during the MACCC Softball Tournament as she got four starts winning all four with three coming against nationally ranked opponents. The Southeastern Louisiana commit 26 innings across her four starts with 21 strikeouts, three complete games, and a strikeout per seven innings pitched ratio of 5.65. Blanchard started the tournament with a complete game win against Northeast with seven strikeouts and allowing just one run, she then followed that with a complete game win over No. 6 Itawamba with five strikeouts and allowing one unearned run. Blanchard's third start and win of the tournament came against No. 4 Jones as she pitched five innings with four strikeouts, while her fourth start and win of the tournament came in the championship game also against No. 4 Jones where she pitched her third complete game and had four strikeouts. The Metairie, Louisiana native also posted a perfect fielding percentage across her four starts in the circle.
"Cera was just so tough for us in the circle all week," stated Co-Lin head coach Meleah Howard. "To throw as many games as she did and to win four games in as many days against the teams in that tournament is extremely impressive. Her performance shows how dominant she can be and how much of a competitor she is…Cera never ceases to amaze me with her talent in the circle!"
Maddie Weeks had her best week in a Co-Lin uniform during the MACCC Softball Tournament as the freshman started the first three games with at least one hit against each of the Lady Wolves opponents going 1-for-3 with one run scored against Northeast, 2-for-3 with one RBI, one stolen base, and one walk against Itawamba, and then 1-for-3 with one RBI against No. 4 Jones. Weeks saved her best single day performance for the final day of the tournament going a combined 4-for-5 in the two games against No.4 Jones with three home runs (all were hit consecutively in her final three official at-bats on the day), six RBI, four runs scored, and two walks. For the week, the Clinton, Mississippi native hit for a .571 average going 8-for-14 at the plate, had an on-base percentage of .611 and slugged 1.214 whle also posting a perfect fielding percentage in five games played at the MACCC Softball Tournament.
"Maddie being a freshman makes all of her accomplishments this week just that more impressive," Howard said. "A player who just last year was playing high school softball and for her to come in and show out the way she did through this week at the plate is unbelievable. Maddie not only hit the ball well but also was extremely disciplined for the most part, which is what has separated her as one of the best hitters in the conference over the last several weeks. Maddie's best softball is still ahead of her and I'm just so glad that she chose to come to Co-Lin!"
Blanchard, Weeks, and the rest of the No.4 Lady Wolves return to action hosting the Region 23 Softball Tournament from May 11-14 and will be facing off against sixth-seeded and No.6 Itawamba on Wednesday, May 11 at 5 p.m., in Wesson.