March 9, 2010

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- North Carolina junior pitcher/first baseman Danielle Spaulding and Maryland sophomore Kendra Knight were named Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week for the period ending March 8, announced today. Spaulding guided the nationally ranked Tar Heels to a 5-0 record for the week, while Knight recorded 31 strikeouts and didn't allow an earned run at the Terrapins' home tournament.

Spaulding, who has also been named Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 23) this season, hit .571 (8-for-14) for the week with two doubles, two home runs, two runs scored, and six runs batter-in, and struck out 32 batters over 14 innings pitched, as the No. 20 (ESPN.com/USA Softball) Tar Heels claimed five victories at the DeMarini Invitational in Fullerton, Calif. to extend their winning streak to 14 games. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native was pivotal in a 3-0 win over No. 12/10 Stanford (Mar. 6), going 1-for-3 at the plate and keeping a perfect game alive on the mound into the seventh inning. Spaulding allowed just one hit and struck out 18 batters in a complete game shutout of the Cardinal. Spaulding, who has already authored three no-hitters this season, has fanned 10 or more batters in seven straight games.

Knight did not allow a hit until the bottom of the seventh inning of a 9-0 win over Princeton (Mar. 5) and struck out 18 Tigers en route to a complete game shutout. The following day, the Virginia Beach, Va., native fanned 18 more batters and gave up just three hits over seven innings, but was hung for a 2-0 loss to Towson. In her last outing at the Maryland Round Robin, she recorded a save after working one-third of an inning, as Maryland defeated in-state foe Mt. St. Mary's, 2-0 (Mar. 7). Knight finished the weekend without allowed an earned run over 14.1 innings pitched with 31 strikeouts.

The ACC Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week will be announced by 5 p.m. each Tuesday during the regular season. All ACC softball information can be found at theACC.com.