Women's Softball

2000 Players of the Week

(May 1-7)
Kami Kessler, Walsh University (position)
Karen Heimgartner, Walsh University (pitcher)
CEDARVILLE, Ohio -- Walsh University teammates Kami Kessler (Austintown, OH; Austintown Fitch H.S.) and Karen Heimgartner (North Tonawanda, NY; Wheatfield H.S.) have been named the AMC softball Players of the Week. They guided the Cavs to a 4-0 week, the NAIA Region IX championship, and their first-ever berth to the NAIA National Tournament.

Kessler, a 5-foot-5 senior catcher, batted .500 with a double, a home run, five runs scored, and seven RBI's during Walsh's 4-0 week. She drove in the game winner in the bottom of the seventh inning of a 5-4 victory against Cedarville.

Heimgartner, a 5-foot-9 senior righthanded pitcher, was 4-0 with a 0.91 ERA. In 23 innings pitched, she allowed three earned runs on nine hits with 28 strikeouts and 10 walks. Heimgartner, 22-5, set a school record for most wins in a season and she upped her career strikeout total to 602. Walsh is 38-12 overall.

(April 24-30)
Shelly Aldrich, Mount Vernon Nazarene College (position)
Karen Heimgartner, Walsh University (pitcher)
CEDARVILLE, Ohio -- Mount Vernon Nazarene College second baseman Shelly Aldrich (Marion, OH; Marion Harding H.S.) and Walsh University pitcher Karen Heimgartner (North Tonawanda, NY; Wheatfield H.S.) are the AMC softball Players of the Week.

Aldrich, a 5-foot-6 junior, batted .714 during MVNC's 3-1 week. She went 10-for-14 with a double, a home run, six runs scored, and eight RBI's. Her two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning defeated Point Park, 3-2. The Cougars are 17-19 overall and 11-13 AMC.

Heimgartner, a 5-foot-9 senior righthander, was 4-0 with two saves and a 0.27 ERA. She allowed one earned run in 26 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts and 13 walks. Heimgartner fanned a school-record 17 batters in a 6-0 win over Shawnee State. Walsh is 35-12 overall and 23-2 AMC.

(April 17-23)
Shannon Kohl, Walsh University (position)
Megan Petersen, Cedarville College (pitcher)
CEDARVILLE, Ohio -- Walsh University outfielder Shannon Kohl (Austintown, OH; Austintown H.S.) and Cedarville College pitcher Megan Petersen (Northridge, CA; Los Angeles Baptist H.S.) have been named the AMC women's softball Players of the Week.

Kohl, a 5-foot-4 freshman, batted .615 while leading Walsh to a 4-0 week. She recorded eight hits in 13 at bats with six runs scored and eight stolen bases. The Cavaliers begin the week 28-12 overall and 16-2 AMC.

Petersen, a 5-foot-9 junior righthander, was 5-0 for the week with a 1.15 ERA. She allowed five earned runs in 30 1/3 innings pitched with 21 strikeouts and seven walks. Petersen was named the MVP of the NCCAA Midwest Regional by going 4-0 in the one-day, double-elimination tournament and leading Cedarville, 16-10 overall and 10-8 AMC, to their first-ever regional title.

(April 10-16)
Jena Whitcomb, Ohio Dominican College (position)
Michelle Slark, Tiffin University (pitcher)
CEDARVILLE, Ohio -- Ohio Dominican College third baseman Jena Whitcomb (Loudonville, OH; Loudonville H.S.) and Tiffin University pitcher Michelle Slark (Bellevue, OH; Bellevue H.S.) are the AMC women's softball Players of the Week. Whitcomb was also named the NAIA National Softball Player of the Week.

Whitcomb, a 5-foot-6 freshman, batted .613 to pace ODC to a 9-1 week. She recorded 19 hits in 31 at bats with two triples, four home runs, 10 runs scored, and 10 RBI's. Whitcomb hit safely in all ten games with eight multi-hit efforts, scored at least one run in all but one contest, and had a 1.129 slugging percentage. The Panthers are 27-16 overall and 13-3 AMC.

Slark, a 5-foot-8 sophomore righthander, keyed Tiffin's 8-0 week by going 6-0 on the mound with a 0.59 ERA. She allowed only three earned runs in 35 1/3 innings pitched with 25 strikeouts and three walks. Slark fired two complete-game shutouts as the Dragons improved to 20-12 overall and 12-4 AMC.

(April 3-9)
Erin Exler, Geneva College (position)
Tara Hines, Mount Vernon Nazarene College (pitcher)
CEDARVILLE, Ohio -- Geneva College designated hitter Erin Exler (Cheswick, PA; Springdale H.S.) and Mount Vernon Nazarene College pitcher Tara Hines (Marion, OH; Marion Harding H.S.) have been named the AMC softball Players of the Week.

Exler, a 5-foot-10 freshman, batted .750 in a doubleheader sweep over AMC foe Saint Vincent. She went 6-for-8 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI's. Geneva is 17-5 overall and 3-3 AMC.

Hines, a 5-foot-8 junior righthander, was 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in three appearances for Mount Vernon Nazarene. She tossed a three-hitter in a 1-0 win over Malone and later struck out five batters without a walk in a 9-3 victory against Rio Grande. In 17 innings total, she allowed three earned runs with eight strikeouts and one walk for MVNC, 10-10 overall and 4-4 AMC.

(March 27 - April 2)
Carisa Troyer, Malone College (position)
Karen Heimgartner, Walsh University (pitcher)
CEDARVILLE, Ohio -- Malone College second baseman Carisa Troyer (Strasburg, OH; Strasburg H.S.) and Walsh University pitcher Karen Heimgartner (North Tonawanda, NY; Wheatfield H.S.) are the AMC softball Players of the Week.

Troyer, a senior righthanded hitter, batted .700 while leading Malone to a 5-1 week against AMC opposition. She recorded 14 hits in 20 at bats with two doubles, a home run, eight runs scored, and 10 RBI's. Her homer gave the Pioneers a 1-0 win in the second game of a doubleheader sweep over Geneva. Malone is 13-8 overall and 5-1 AMC.

Heimgartner, a 5-foot-9 senior righthander, posted a 3-1 record with a 1.17 ERA for the week. After losing a 4-2 decision at NCAA Division II Ashland, she tossed three straight AMC shutouts including a six-inning no-hitter at Saint Vincent - her fourth career no-hitter. In 24 innings pitched overall, she allowed four earned runs with 29 strikeouts and two walks. Heimgartner fanned 27 AMC hitters with no walks in 18 innings pitched and allowed three hits. Walsh is 17-11 overall and 5-1 AMC.

(March 20-26)
Amanda Schumm, Mount Vernon Nazarene College (position)
Erica Exler, Geneva College (pitcher)
CEDARVILLE, Ohio -- Mount Vernon Nazarene College designated hitter Amanda Schumm (Rockford, OH; Parkway H.S.) and Geneva College pitcher Erica Exler (Cheswick, PA; Springdale H.S.) have been named the AMC softball Players of the Week. They are the first selections for the 2000 season.

Schumm, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, batted .522 with five home runs and 11 RBI's during MVNC's 4-4 week. She registered 12 hits in 23 at bats with two doubles and nine runs scored. Schumm posted a 1.261 slugging percentage and tied a school record with two homers in one game. The Cougars are 5-5 overall.

Exler, a 5-foot-8 sophomore righthander, tossed the first perfect game in Geneva school history and also hurled a one-hitter. Her "perfecto" came in an 8-0 win over Grove City in which she fanned four batters in seven innings. Exler's one-hitter was also a complete game in a 5-0 victory against Waynesburg where she struck out four. Geneva is 13-1 overall.

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