Northwestern University Athletics
Adrienne Monka, Amy Letourneau Earn Big Ten Weekly Honors
5/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 7, 2012
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the second-straight week, Northwestern senior Adrienne Monka (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week, and this time she is joined by teammate Amy Letourneau (Laguna Niguel, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic), who was selected as Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
Monka had another monster week, extending her current hitting streak to eight games while leading Northwestern to a sweep on the road at Michigan State by batting .700 and slugging 1.400 with a .786 on-base percentage, giving her a monstrous 2.186 OPS. Monka first went 1-for-2 with two walks at top-25 RPI opponent DePaul in a midweek game before starting NU's series at MSU with a 3-for-3, four-RBI performance in game one of a doubleheader.
In game two, Monka drove in three more runs with a double and a homer before completing the series with two more walks, two runs and a solo homer Sunday. Monka now has 54 career home runs, good for third all-time at NU. The honor is the sixth weekly conference accolade of Monka's career.
Letourneau picked up her first Big Ten weekly award by playing in three of NU's four games, earning an 0.64 ERA in the circle while driving in seven runs on two doubles and a homer at the plate. Letourneau began the week in relief in the circle at DePaul, throwing 4.0 effective innings.
She then had a career day of a doubleheader at Michigan State, finishing the first game 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and a career-best seven RBIs, most in a single game for a Wildcat since 2010. In the second game of the double dip, Letourneau did her damage in the circle, throwing a complete-game victory while giving up just one run on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work.
Northwestern returns to action on Senior Weekend Friday and Saturday, May 11-12, at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. NU hosts Illinois in a 2 p.m. CT doubleheader Friday before the series finale at 1 p.m. CT Saturday followed by the sixth-annual Purple Auction.
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