Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Sweeps Big Ten Weekly Awards
4/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 21, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern sophomore Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week while classmate Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) earned Pitcher of the Week honors following the Wildcats' historically dominant 5-0 run last week.
Northwestern began the week with a 5-0 win Tuesday, April 15, over Notre Dame before run-ruling its opponents in all four Big Ten games -- the first time NU has won every conference contest in one weekend by the mercy rule. The Wildcats outscored their foes 47-2 in their five outings.
The 4-0 Big Ten record last week brought Northwestern into a tie with Michigan for first place in the conference with a 13-1 mark.
Pauly batted .538 during the week, driving in eight runs, scoring seven times and clubbing a pair of doubles and two home runs. She slugged 1.154 for the week, making teams pay for putting the nation's leading batter Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) and Michelle Batts (Bloomingdale, Ill./Glenbard North) on base in front of her.
The honor is the first of the season and the second in the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year's career.
Delaney went 5-0 on the week, throwing three shutouts while combining with freshman Jessica Smith (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon) for another, tossing her fifth no-hitter of the season and striking out 47 in 26.0 innings pitched to earn an 0.54 ERA and an opponents' batting average of .107.
Delaney began the week by striking out 13 Irish in a seven-inning, one-hit shutout Tuesday. Saturday against the Hoosiers, Delaney fired her fifth no-hitter of the season, fanning eight in five innings while allowing just two base runners. Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader against Purdue, Delaney recorded every out but three by strikeout to finish with 12 in a five-inning win before tossing her third shutout of the week with a two-hit effort in game two.
Delaney now has more than 300 strikeouts on the season, becoming the third pitcher in school history to reach that mark. She also crossed the 500-strikeout barrier for her career, currently owning 505.
The Big Ten honor is Delaney's second of the season and the fifth of her career. Boasting a 26-6 record on the year, Delaney now is a perfect 13-0 in conference play.
Northwestern returns to action at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 22, against Illinois-Chicago at Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
