April 28, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. - North Carolina's Danielle Spaulding and Georgia Tech's Whitney Haller have been selected as the Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, for the period ending on Sunday, April 27. Haller, who extended her season-best hitting streak to 10 over the weekend, has now earned the league's Player of the Week award in each of the last two weeks.

A sophomore pitcher for the Tar Heels, Spaulding went 2-0 in four appearances last week, including complete games against Winthrop and No. 18 Virginia Tech. In her first start of the week, against Winthrop, the Fontana, Calif., native allowed just four hits in seven innings, holding the Eagles scoreless in a 2-0 North Carolina win. Then, in game two of a huge series against Virginia Tech over the weekend, Spaulding gave up just one run on one hit to the Hokies and struck out 10 as the Tar Heels prevailed 2-1. For the week, she allowed just five hits in 18.0 innings pitched, leading the `Heels to a 4-1 overall record, a series victory over Virginia Tech and the ACC's regular season title. She is now 15-2 on the year, and ranks among the league's top five in strikeouts, shutouts, opponent batting-average, and earned run average.

Haller, whose Yellow Jackets have now won 13 of their last 15 games, picked up six hits in 12 at-bats last week as Tech went 5-0. In a mid-week double header against Georgia State, the junior native of Marietta, Ga., was 2-for-6, recording three RBIs and a home run in the two wins. She then combined to go 4-for-6 in the weekend series sweep of ACC-opponent Maryland, including a home run in each of the weekend's first two games and four total RBIs. Now with 49 career home runs, Haller is tied for first-place all-time in the ACC. She also ranks third in league history with 172 career RBIs.

Next up for both teams is the first round of the 2008 ACC Softball Championship. Opening round action will begin next Thursday, May 8, on the campus of the University of Maryland.