Jenny Richards Named CAA Softball Co-Player of the Week; Michelle McKinnon Earns Rookie of the Week Honors
April 25, 2011
File Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell
RICHMOND, Va. – Following the Blue Hens’ pivotal sweep of UNC Wilmington over the weekend, UD sophomore leftfielder Jenny Richards was named the Colonial Athletic Association Softball Co-Player of the Week while freshman second baseman Michelle McKinnon earned Rookie of the Week honors on Monday.
Richards, a native of Trabuco Canyon, Calif. (Mission Viejo HS), led the Blue Hens with a .583 batting average, seven hits, four runs scored and four doubles as Delaware went 3-1 on the week including the three victories over the Seahawks. She went 2 for 3 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI during the Blue Hens’ narrow 5-4 loss at Army last Wednesday.
Richards (at right) was again 2 for 3 with a walk in Friday’s 2-1 victory over UNC Wilmington, and scored the game-winning run during the bottom of the seventh on a single by Michelle McKinnon. She added two more hits and a walk during the Blue Hens’ 3-2 triumph over the Seahawks during the second game of the day. Richards extended her hitting streak to five games by finishing 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored in Saturday’s 3-2 victory.
Richards, who has started all 46 games in leftfield this season, has increased her batting average to .289 and leads the squad with 41 hits. She currently is tied for the league lead with 12 doubles and tied for second with 29 runs scored.
McKinnon, a native of Islip Terrace, N.Y. (East Islip HS), ranked second on the team with a .417 batting average and five hits on the week. McKinnon posted a team-best three hits at Army, while her single up the middle drove home Richards with the winning run during Friday’s opener against UNCW. She went 1 for 2 during the nightcap victory over the Seahawks, before walking and scoring a run in Saturday’s 3-2 triumph.
McKinnon (at left) continues to lead Delaware with a .331 batting average and has also started every game during her rookie campaign, all but two second base. Her average currently ranks eighth in the conference, while she is second on the Blue Hens with 39 hits and third with 18 runs scored.
The weekly conference award was the third of her career for Richards, who shared CAA Co-Player of the Week honors with Sara Michalowski of Hofstra. Last season Richards was tabbed CAA Player of the Week on April 12 and CAA Rookie of the Week on May 3.
McKinnon’s Rookie of the Week honor was the first of her career. Hofstra righthander Olivia Galati was named the CAA Pitcher of the Week.
Delaware used its three-game sweep of UNC Wilmington to move into third place in the conference standings with six league games to play. The Blue Hens, who are now 17-29 overall and 7-8 in the CAA, host Penn on Wednesday in a single game beginning at 4 p.m.
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