Alexander Picks Up Second Career A-Sun Weekly Honor
Spartanburg, S.C. – USC Upstate standout pitcher Hannah Alexander turned in an extraordinary effort in A-Sun play last week and has been named the A-Sun Pitcher of the Week, announced the league Monday.
In addition to A-Sun honors, Alexander has been named the A-Sun Pitcher of the Week by College Sports Madness, a national website covering Division I softball.
Alexander, a sophomore from Lexington, N.C., earned the award after winning three games in conference play over the weekend, including a marathon 10-inning game at North Florida on Saturday. It marked the second weekly honor of her career.
"Hannah stepped up and led us when we needed her the most last weekend," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "Every time I send her out there, I feel like we have a great chance to win. With what she did last weekend, I don't know of anyone more deserving of the honor this week. She was amazing."
Although starting the week with a loss at 11th-ranked Georgia, Alexander earned weekly honors from the A-Sun after turning in a tremendous effort on the road at Jacksonville and North Florida over the weekend. She finished the weekend with a 3-0 record, earning wins in the first game of the doubleheader at Jacksonville Friday evening and both wins at North Florida Saturday afternoon. She had a 0.37 ERA with 20 strikeouts and a .174 opponent batting average in the two doubleheaders.
Alexander began the weekend by allowing just one run on four hits to lead Upstate to a 4-1 win at Jacksonville. She kept the Spartans in the game with her pitching until Upstate finally put together some hits to score four runs in the top of the sixth to earn the win.
Alexander finished the week with a gutsy effort at North Florida Saturday. She went the distance while striking out nine batters in the marathon 10-inning first game. She allowed just one unearned run on eight Osprey hits in the 10-inning victory. She then tosses two innings of hitless and scoreless ball to earn the win in the second game of the doubleheader. Upstate rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the top of the seventh to send that game into extra innings as well. Alexander pitched the seventh and eighth innings to pick up the victory. She struck out three of the six batters she faced, giving her 12 strikeouts on the day.
Alexander improved to 23-3 on the year with the three wins, a figure that tops the A-Sun and ranks in the top five in the nation. This week's honor is the second in her career. She earned weekly honors on Feb. 13 aft6er leading Upstate to wins over Detroit, St. Bonaventure and Ohio to open the season.