Traughber, Van Arsdale Sweep ACCAC Division II Weekly Softball Awards
PHOENIX ---
Freshmen Jackie Traughber and Tori Van Arsdale were named Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, on Apr. 6 after helping lead the South Mountain Community College softball team to a 3-1 record in league games against Central Arizona and Pima Community College. Traughber went 3-1 in the circle with 14 strikeouts in 26.2 innings of work, while Van Arsdale batted .692 (9-for-13) with 11 RBIs, two home runs and five stolen bases in the four contests.
Traughber shouldered most of the work in the circle against the Vaqueras and Aztecs. Against Central Arizona, she tossed 13 innings and picked up the win in game two, a 13-4 SMCC victory. She had seven strikeouts on the day and allowed only two earned runs on the day.
Facing the Aztecs in Tucson, Traughber tossed another 13.2 innings of work with seven strikeouts, and three earned runs to win both contests. The victories were SMCC's first road wins in the series since 2013, and Traughber is now 8-3 with a 2.51 ERA and 56 K's in 67 innings of work. She ranks third in the ACCAC in ERA and fourth in wins.
Traughber also helped herself at the plate throughout the week, collecting multiple hits in all four games. Against Central Arizona, she went 4-for-7 with an RBI and a stolen base, and against Pima CC, she finished 6-for-8 with five runs, a double, a triple and two RBIs. Traughber is batting .509 with 17 runs, four doubles, three triples, 19 RBIs, and nine stolen bases for the season. She ranks seventh in the ACCAC in batting average and is tied for fourth in triples.
Van Arsdale was equally lethal at the plate for the Cougars in the games against Central Arizona and Pima CC. She had a hit in all four games, and in the win over the Vaqueras, she went 3-for-3 with two runs, a triple, five RBIs and two stolen bases.
In Tucson, Van Arsdale continued to punish opposing pitchers, and she finished 6-for-7 with four runs, two home runs, six RBIs and four stolen bases in the two games. She had two home runs, five RBIs and two stolen bases in the 12-9 victory, her second five-RBI performance of the week.
For the season, Van Arsdale is batting .483 with 19 runs, three doubles, two triples, three home runs, 24 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. She is fourth in ACCAC in stolen bases, 11th in batting average and 10th in RBIs.
The Cougars, who have won five straight games and seven of their past eight, travel to Chandler-Gilbert CC for a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 10. The first game starts at 1 p.m.
PHOTO BY ANDY SILVAS