March 27, 2006

by Matt Bosen, Redhawks Sports Information

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. - (Monday, March 27, 2006) Southeast Missouri State sophomore third baseman Michelle Summers (Glendale, CA/Hoover) was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week for her performance last week for the Redhawks softball team. This is the second time she has received the OVC Player of the Week honor this season.

Summers batted a lofty .409 for the week in seven games helping lead the Redhawks to a 5-2 mark for the week brining their season record to 15-9 (5-1 OVC). Four of her hits went for extra bases, including three home runs and a double. She knocked in seven runners and scored an additional eight runs in seven games. On Wednesday in the second game of a doubleheader against Middle Tennessee she had an outstanding day at the plate, finishing 2-4 with four RBI's that all came on a grand slam. She also scored three runs helping the Redhawks to a 12-3 victory.

On Thursday in the first game of a doubleheader against the Memphis Tigers she led off the game with her sixth homerun of the season, which was her seventh career lead off homerun. She finished the game against the Tigers a perfect 4-4 at the plate with her lone double of the week. In the finale of the doubleheader she went 2-3 with her ninth multi-hit game of the season.

Summers capped off her week by hitting the eventual game-winning two-run home run in the third inning against Tennessee-Martin. The home run was her team leading seventh of the season and the 17th of her career which ranks her second all-time at Southeast.

Summers is currently batting .368 for the season which leads the Redhawks. She is also among the conference leaders in hits, runs scored, home runs, total bases and slugging percentage. Her slugging percentage of .690 and her seven home runs are good enough for second in the conference. She is among the league leaders despite having played in only 24 games this year while the majority of the rest of the leaders have appeared in 30 or more games.

The Redhawks return to action on Wednesday, March 29th against Evansville with a doubleheader set to start at 3:00 p.m. with the second game following at approximately 5:00 p.m. at the Southeast Softball Complex.