BATON ROUGE, La. – In a vote by the sports information directors and media relations professionals around the state of Louisiana, Bianka Bell of LSU and Christina Hamilton of Louisiana-Lafayette were named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Player and Pitcher of the Week it was announced today by the organization.
This is the fourth consecutive award this season for Bell, who was also named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday as well, while this is the first for Hamilton this season and first for a Ragin’ Cajun player this year.
LSU infielder Bianka Bell had nine RBIs over three games, hitting .700 with a 1.700 slugging percentage as LSU swept three games last week, including two wins over No. 6. Oklahoma. The junior, currently on a career-long 12 game hitting streak, had seven hits, including three home runs as she slugged .727 to lead all players on the week in all categories. She produced two multi-hit games, including having her second four-hit game in her last three against Nicholls, while she had two multiple-RBI contests, driving in four twice. She went 4-for-4 against the Colonels with a double, while she hit the go ahead home run in game one against the Sooners in a 1-0 win, and a three-run shot in the opening frame, and then a solo later in game two Saturday to put LSU up in a lead they never relinquished in her first multi-home run game of the season.
Hamilton collected three wins, including the two that allowed the Cajuns to win the Troy series, and struck out 15 in 17-2/3 innings over five appearances during the Georgia Southern and Troy series at Lamson Park. In a key relief appearance in the Georgia Southern series opener, Hamilton bounced back after two inherited runners from a bases-loaded situation had scored to strand two Eagles in scoring position in the fifth inning and preserve a 4-2 lead. The senior hurler helped the Cajuns earn a split in the Troy doubleheader on Saturday. After play resumed following a weather delay in the second inning of game two, Hamilton retired 18 of the 21 Troy batters faced – including retiring the side in order in three of the first four innings following resumption – and posted a season-high eight strikeouts in the 6-3 win. On Sunday, she needed only 65 pitches to record a five-inning win over Troy that extended her undefeated streak in Sun Belt starts to 19 games and gave Louisiana the series win. After a sacrificebunt gave Troy a runner at second base with one out in the top of the first, Hamilton induced a pop up and collected a strikeout to post a zero. Her teammates responded with a seven-run at bat in the bottom half.
LSWA Softball Player of the Week
February: Bianka Bell, LSU
March 9: Bianka Bell, LSU
March 16: Bianka Bell, LSU
March 23: Bianka Bell, LSU
LSWA Softball Pitcher of the Week
February: Allie Walljasper, LSU
March 9: Baylee Corbello, LSU
March 16: Kelsee Selman, LSU
March 23: Christina Hamilton, Louisiana-Lafayette