LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Framingham State’s Gwendolyn Carpenter and Alfred’s Megan Bennett captured the final Division III Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player and Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week honors of the 2022 season on Tuesday.
Carpenter, a junior outfielder from Ashley Falls, Mass., batted .632 with a double, triple, four walks and eight RBI to lead the Rams to their fourth Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament title in the last five seasons and earn Most Valuable Player honors for herself. The Mount Everett High graduate drove in at least one run in five games and was 4-for-6 with two runs and two RBI in Sunday’s championship round.
Bennett, a sophomore left-hander from Athens, Pa., was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and collected her NCAA-leading eighth save, as the Saxons repeated as Empire 8 tournament champions on Saturday. The Athens Area High product was named the tournament MVP on the strength of her five-hit shutout of St. John Fisher (seven strikeouts) in the winner-take-all title contest, and two earlier two-inning hitless relief appearances.
Other Top Performances
SUNY New Paltz senior outfielder Carol Ann Campsey closed her career in style in the conference tournament, hitting .583 with two doubles, a triple, homer and two RBI. … Eastern Connecticut State senior first baseman Brooke Matyasovsky was 7-for-11 (.636) with two doubles, a homer and six RBI. She drove in the winning run in two of three contests, as the Warriors captured a third-straight Little East Conference crown. … Eastern Connecticut State sophomore pitcher Alexis Michon won both her starts, allowing just three singles and fanned 14 over 9.1 innings. Michon has now won 16 straight games and 19 of her last 20 decisions. … Wartburg sophomore pitcher Ashley Nelson started all three conference tournament games, and completed two, including a shutout of Buena Vista. She allowed just three earned runs in 16.1 innings. … Bethany Lutheran freshman pitcher Kayla Senne pitched 17 innings in her conference tournament, collecting three wins and 14 strikeouts, while allowing just one earned run and four walks.
Winners are selected by the NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee, which has a representative for each of the 10 NCAA regions.
2022 Wilson/NFCA Division III National Pitcher of the Week
May 10 — Megan Bennett, Alfred, So., LHP, Athens, Pa.
May 3 — Elise Weinzierl, Wisconsin-La Crosse, So., RHP, Saint Michael, Minn.
April 26 — Kayla Simacek, Bethel (Minn.), Jr., RHP, Hastings, Minn.
April 19 — Katie Murphy, Susquehanna, Sr., RHP, Havre de Grace, Md.
April 12 — Gracie Ellis, Randolph-Macon, Fr., RHP, New Kent, Va.
April 5 — Moira O’Reilly, Babson, So., RHP, Columbus, Ohio
March 29 — Caitlyn Burch, Mary Washington, So., RHP, Mechanicsville, Md.
March 22 — Ashlyn Hemm, Loras, Fr., RHP, Port Byron, Ill.
March 15 — Ashlyn Strother, Texas Lutheran, So., RHP, Seabrook, Texas
March 8 — Kate Alger, Christopher Newport, Fr., RHP, Staunton, Va.
2022 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week
May 10 — Gwendolyn Carpenter, Framingham State, Jr., OF, Ashley Falls, Mass.
May 3 — Abby Gilbertson, Ripon, Jr., 1B, Marquette, Wis.
April 26 — Giselle Bahena, Hiram, Gr., C, Pomona, Calif.
April 19 — Lauren Kay, Covenant, Fr., 3B, Chattanooga, Tenn.
April 12 — Hannah Ritter, Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Jr., 1B, Marengo, Ill.
April 5 — Anna Jackson, Berry, So., C, Suwanee, Ga.
March 29 — Hannah Davis, Skidmore, Sr., P/1B, Stafford, Conn.
March 22 — Franie Burnett, Central, So., RF, Ankeny, Iowa
March 15 — Kaitlyn Hasty, Christopher Newport, Sr., 1B, Chesapeake, Va.
March 8 — Sarah Proctor, Christopher Newport, Sr., OF, Mineral, Va.
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