Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Softball Players Earn Patriot League Weekly Honors
4/26/2004 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 26, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell sophomore pitcher Julie Williams (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) and freshman designated player Lauren Litts (East Stroudsburg, Pa./East Stroudsburg) have been named the Patriot League's Pitcher and Freshman of the Week, respectively, announced by the league office this afternoon. It is the first award of the season for each player.
Williams picks up the Pitcher of the Week award for the first time in her career after leading Bucknell to a 5-1 week with a 4-0 performance of her own. The right hander started the week by picking up a 2-1 win over visiting Rider on Thursday, and concluded the span with three victories against Holy Cross on Saturday and Sunday.
Bucknell entered the weekend series with the Crusaders needing to win three of four games to make the postseason tournament. Williams played a vital role in BU's successful attempt, winning both games on Saturday, and earning the complete-game playoff-clinching win on Sunday. In her first appearance of the weekend, Williams entered the game in the fourth inning, trailing 5-2 with one out. She proceeded to pitch 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while the Bison came back to win the game 9-5.
In two other appearances on the weekend, Williams went the distance in both, picking up a 7-4 win in the nightcap on Saturday, and helping the Orange and Blue to clinch the playoff spot with a 4-3 victory in the first game on Sunday. For the week, Williams was 4-0 with a 1.99 earned run average. She is 7-9 on the year with a 4.19 ERA.
 Freshman Lauren Litts was tabbed the Patriot League Rookie of the Week.  |
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Litts collected at least one hit in four of Bucknell's five wins this past week, including a 5-for-6 performance in Sunday's doubleheader with Holy Cross. The rookie batted .368 on the week with seven hits in 19 at bats. Five of those hits were for extra bases as she clubbed two doubles and her third home run of the year.
In Sunday's twinbill with the Crusaders, Litts went 3-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI in BU's playoff-clinching win in the opener. The freshman then hit 2-for-3 with a two-bagger and a homerun, and four runs batted in, in the 7-4 nightcap win to complete the four-game sweep.
For the season, Litts is hitting .290 with nine doubles and three homeruns. Her double production is tied for 10th on the Bucknell single-season chart.
Bucknell is 13-23 overall and finished the year with an 8-12 Patriot League record. The Bison enters the conference tournament as the fourth seed and will face top-seeded Lehigh on Saturday, May 1, at 9:00 a.m.
