BATON ROUGE — LSU’s Emily Turner and McNeese State’s Megan Beard were named the Louisiana Pitcher and Hitter of the Week respectively, it was announced by the Louisiana Sports Writer’s Association on Tuesday.
A senior All-American from Chula Vista, Calif., Turner went 2-0 on the week with two wins over the top-ranked Lady Vols, snapping Tennessee’s 25-game winning streak. The right-handed pitcher earned a complete-game 5-1 win in the nightcap of the Saturday doubleheader. She came back to earn a 3-2 win in the rubber match and seal LSU’s series victory.
In her first outing, Turner allowed a single run in the top of the first inning, before holding Tennessee’s high powered offense, which ranks fifth in the NCAA in hitting, scoreless over the next 10 straight innings. In the fifth inning of Sunday’s game, she gave up one run, before allowing a seventh inning run.
In 13.1 innings on the week, she allowed just nine hits as the Lady Vols were held to a .196 average against her, down from the .334 season average Tennessee came into the series with. In addition, she gave up only three runs while striking out seven for a 1.58 earned run average over the week as she improved to 17-5 on the season.
Turner now owns all three of LSU’s victories over a No. 1-ranked team. She earned the Tigers’ first win over a top-ranked team with an NCAA Super Regional victory over eventual national champion Arizona last season. With the two wins over No. 1 Tennessee this season, she is now 3-2 all-time against top ranked teams.
A junior from Baton Rouge, Beard led the Cowgirls with a .556 average (5-for-9) at the plate for the week as McNeese State earned a 2-1 series win over Texas State. In the Cowgirls’ 5-4 win over the Bobcats, the outfielder pounded a seventh inning solo home run that proved to be the game winner.
In McNeese’s second win over Texas State, Beard was 2-for-4 with an RBI as part of the 8-1 victory. In the series finale, she was one of only two Cowgirl hitters to record a hit against the Bobcats.
This marks the first Louisiana Hitter of the Week honor for Beard and the second-straight Louisiana Pitcher of the Week honor for Turner this season.
2007 LSWA Louisiana Softball Weekly Honors:
Week Pitcher Hitter
Week 1 (Feb.27)
Dani Hofer, LSU
Jazz Jackson, LSU
Week 2 (March 6)
Rachel Ray, Southeastern La.
Killian Roessner, LSU
Week 3 (March 13)
Dani Hofer, LSU
Brooke Brodhead, McNeese State
Dee Dee Henderson, LSU
Amanda Jameson, Northwestern State
Week 4 (March 20)
Amanda Glenn, Northwestern State
Leslie Klein, LSU
Week 5 (March 27)
Dani Hofer, LSU
Margaret Patterson, Northwestern State
Week 6 (April 3)
Kelsey Greeson, Centenary
Allison McClain, Centenary
Week 7 (April 10)
Dani Hofer, LSU
Tayl’r Hollis, LSU
Week 8 (April 17)
Rachel Ray, Southeastern La.
Katherine Horton, Louisiana College
Week 9 (April 24)
Emily Turner, LSU
Brooke Brodhead, McNeese State
Killian Roessner, LSU
Week 10 (May 1)
Emily Turner, LSU
Megan Beard, McNeese State