ALFRED, NY – Molly Whitmyer (Enola, PA/Trinity) was named the Empire 8 Softball Player of the Week and Kendall Steward (Kennedy, NY/Randolph) was named a Co-Pitcher of the Week on Monday.
 
Whitmyer has already made an impact on the Saxon softball team as the transfer helped AU go 7-3 in Florida and was 5-3 since Monday, including a five-inning, mercy rule upset over #17 nationally-ranked Berry College (Ga.) on Thursday. She totaled four home runs on the week with three in the four days of action since Monday. Whitmyer went yard twice in a five-inning win over Penn State Brandywine for three RBI, right before tacking on five RBI in a six-inning win over Saint Joseph's College (Me.) on the same day, while adding another home run that day. In total, she had 11 hits, 10 RBI, a double, a triple, three home runs, three walks and five runs on the week where she batted an impressive, 0.458 on the week.
 
Steward started her sophomore season in style as she was 4-1 from Monday until Saturday during the Saxons' Spring Break trip to Florida. Her biggest highlight came when AU upset the #17 nationally-ranked Berry College (Ga.) Vikings with a five-inning mercy rule victory on Thursday. She pitched all five innings and gave up only two earned runs in the 10-2 win, winning the game with 80 pitches and 25 batters faced. Steward recorded 21 strikeouts on the week and picked up her first collegiate save inside of the circle, helping AU pick up a six-inning win over Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Tuesday. Her wins inside of the circle came against Roger Williams College, Penn State Brandywine, #17 Berry and North Central College (Ill.). In each of the games that she appeared in, the Saxons outscored opponents, 47-20 as she ended the four days of action with a 3.47 ERA on 26.2 innings pitched. No opposing batter was able to send a ball over the fence and only recorded one triple on the week. Steward also spent time inside of the batters' box, recording a 0.300 batting average on three hits with one double, one RBI and two runs. She also recorded one sacrificed bunt and one sacrificed fly while only being struck out once.
 
Whitmyer and Steward were joined in the Empire 8 listings by Nolan Pridmore (Toronto, ON, Canada/Etobicoke Collegiate Institute) as a Baseball Co-Player of the Week. Whitmyer was also named a Saxon of the Week alongside of western equestrian's Ally Dann (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) on Monday.