NORFOLK, Va., March 20, 2023 – Morgan State senior Victoria Fletcher has been named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Player of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola, the league announced today. Maryland Eastern Shore’s Katelyn Smitchko was named Rookie of the Week, and Morgan State junior Anaya Hunte was named the Pitcher of the Week.
 
Fletcher (5-8, Sr., P/1B, Huntington, W.Va.) went 6-of-14 with one grand slam, eight RBIs, and three runs to lead Morgan State to a 3-1 record for the week. She totaled two hits in three at-bats and an RBI in the game 1 win over Coppin State and drove in four RBIs with her grand slam in game 2. In the pitching circle, she earned a complete game victory, pitching five innings and surrendering a run on five hits and striking out three in the second game of the CSU series.
 
Smitchko (P/OF, Fr., Clarence, Pa.) went 3-for-5 with a triple, three RBIs and two runs scored against Delaware State in the series finale. She also logged 9.2 innings of pitching work for the week, including a six-inning, complete game appearance in game 1 and 3.2 frames of relief in Sunday’s 11-7 win.
 
Hunte (5-5, Jr., P/OF, Burlington, N.J.) went 2-1 for the week, including pitching both the school’s and her second perfect game in a MEAC win over Coppin State in which she struck out seven batters. In the series finale at Coppin State, she surrendered three hits and struck out five in a six-inning, complete-game shutout win. Additionally, Hunte threw eight strikeouts in four innings in a loss at George Washington. For the week, she allowed four runs on seven hits and struck out 20 batters.
 
Other Top Performers
Brandilyn Reymer (Coppin State) struck out a season-high seven batters and did not allow an earned run in 3.2 innings of work in game 2 of the Morgan State series.
 
Sydney Hoffman ( Delaware State) went 2-0 for the week with complete game victories over Bowie State and Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
Uxua Modrego Lopez (Delaware State) batted .471 (8-for-17) with two doubles, one triple, a home run and eight RBIs in five games for the week.
 
Ameenah Ballenger (Maryland Eastern Shore) tossed a complete game shutout in a 1-0 win against Delaware State, including a career-high eight strikeouts. 
 
Kelsie Ekstrom (Maryland Eastern Shore) went 4-for-5 with three doubles, three runs and four RBIs in the series finale against Delaware State.
 
Rylie Gilbreath (Norfolk State) hit .375 with three runs, a double, a home run and five RBIs in the three-game series against Howard.
 
Lauren Sheehan (Norfolk State) tossed a complete game and allowed one run and three hits to pick up a win against Howard on Saturday.
 
Aylssa Vasquez (Howard) hit .563 (9-of-19) in six games, helping Howard to a 4-2 record for the week.
 
Imara Harrell (North Carolina Central) helped NCCU to a 2-0 start to MEAC play by going 5-for-7 with two singles, a double, a triple and a homer against South Carolina State.