LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the championship game on the line in the gold bracket of the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic, Trine freshman left fielder Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central) smacked a game-winning hit to cap off a four-run, bottom of the seventh inning rally for a 5-4 victory against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
For that success in the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic and in
previous games during the week of March 4 through March 10, Kaitlyn
Clark has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III
Player of the Week. She is the first Trine softball player to ever
be named the National Player of the Week.
Clark’s impact on Trine’s success started earlier in a week during which Trine posted a 9-1 record with wins against Muskingum, Aurora, Simpson and Beloit prior to the NFCA tournament. During tournament play, Clark and Trine claimed victories over Illinois Wesleyan, Neumann, Mississippi College, 2012 NCAA Division III Champion Pacific Lutheran and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Clark earned MVP of the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic while hitting 12-for-23 (.522) with five runs, two doubles and three RBIs. She also stole one base and only struck out once while recording a .522 on-base percentage and a .609 slugging percentage. In the field, Clark recorded five putouts. For the reporting week of March 4 through March 10, Clark recorded a total of 14 hits in 35 at-bats, eight runs, two doubles, one home run and seven RBIs.
Up next for Clark and the Thunder is a home contest against fellow NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic participant Hiram and three away contests against Defiance, Bluffton and another NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic participant Ohio Northern.
The NFCA Division III Player of the Week is voted on by a panel of eight NCAA Division III coaches from the eight NCAA regions. Player of the Week selection reflects performances from the previous Monday through Sunday of softball action.