IndyStar will be recognizing the top softball players in Indiana with our players of the week poll.
Scroll to the bottom of the article to vote. Voting is open until noon Friday.
Congratulations to Brownsburg’s Rylee Amt on being voted Player of the Week for April 20-25! The freshman batted .667 in four games last week and hit her first career home run, a three-run shot in a win over Carmel. She collected six RBIs and struck out eight over five innings pitched.
Here were the top performers from the past week.
Nola Alford, Beech Grove
Alford picked up four hits across three games last week, including a 2-for-3 effort vs. Indian Creek. She scored a run in a 12-2 win over Centerville on Friday.
Charlie Baldwin, Decatur Central
Baldwin returned to the Hawks’ lineup in style this week, clocking a hit and four RBIs in game one vs. Plainfield, then notching another hit in the rematch a day later (Decatur Central won, 9-7). The junior went 4-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in an 8-7 loss to Noblesville on Saturday.
Dallas Bowen, Hanover Central
The freshman shined across a daunting three-game slate. She homered twice and doubled against Marist (Ill.), doubled twice as part of a three-hit day vs. Illiana Christian and logged an RBI double vs. Crown Point. Bowen picked up five RBIs and six runs scored for the week.
Jordyn Crouch, Whiteland
Crouch was nearly perfect in a six-inning win over Martinsville, striking out 10 and issuing one walk (HBP) in six innings of work. She came out the next night and spun a two-hit shutout of the Artesians with 10 strikeouts. The junior had three hits in the series and went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored in a blowout win over Bloomington North.
Hailey Elsrod, Northeastern
Elsrod struck out 12 and allowed only two earned runs on four hits in a 9-2 win over New Castle. She is 6-0 on the season with a 0.92 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched.
Makenzie Grimes, McCutcheon
Grimes pitched all 10 innings in a 3-2 win over Danville, allowing only one earned run on eight hits with six strikeouts and a couple walks. She also had a hit and an RBI in a loss to Brownsburg.
MG Hawkins, Cardinal Ritter
Hawkins struck out nine in a City quarterfinals win over Heritage Christian. That performance followed a seven-strikeout performance vs. Herron and an additional three Ks in a regular-season tilt vs. the Eagles. She finished the week with 19. total strikeouts.
Shelby Johnson, Cathedral
The junior pitched seven shutout innings vs. Noblesville, limiting the high-powered Millers to only five hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Johnson also registered an assist on her lone attempt in the field.
Elizabeth Kosek, Valparaiso
Kosek was held hitless by Crown Point, then caught fire against Portage and New Prairie, collecting nine hits, eight runs and six RBIs. She also homered in both games, bringing her season total to seven.
Jaleigh Lindley, Terre Haute North
What a week for the Akron signee: three dingers, three doubles, four singles and nine RBIs at the plate, plus a 3-0 record in the circle highlighted by a 4-2 win over Avon wherein she allowed only two runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Lindley also threw a two-hit, six-inning shutout of Evansville Memorial with seven strikeouts.
Grace Luck, Tri-County
Luck had a monster week at the plate, finishing 10-for-15 with three doubles, two triples and a homer. She drove in six RBIs and scored nine runs across games vs. Rensselaer Central, Clinton Prairie, South Newton and Knox.
Layla Manship, West Washington
The senior went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs vs. Trinity Lutheran, then hit for the cycle in a 26-0 win over Crawford County, going a perfect 5-for-5 with five RBIs and a run scored. Manship is batting .381 for the season.
Makenna Mills, Lanesville
Mills batted .500 for the week with six runs scored and four RBIs. Her collection of hits included three doubles and a triple. She also pitched seven innings in all three games, allowing only two earned runs and totaling 23 strikeouts.
Mady Monks, Western Boone
The freshman had a hit and scored three runs in a 9-6 win over Greencastle, tacked on another hit and a run scored in game two vs. Greencastle, and finished 3-for-5 with four runs scored in a seven-run win over Speedway.
Maddie Newman, Danville
Newman continued an excellent junior campaign, collecting four hits and five RBIs (four vs. Hamilton Heights) in five games. She was also perfect on 15 attempts in the field.
Makinah Noel, Triton Central
Noel notched a hit vs. Monrovia, then played a starring role in a wild 16-15 win over Shelbyville, posting a double, a homer, four RBIs and two runs scored. She is batting .415 on the season with three homers.
AG Pogue, Brownsburg
Pogue delivered the game-winning, three-RBI double in a stirring win over Avon. She finished the week batting .375 with four RBIs and a couple runs scored. Pogue carries a .409 batting average with 18 hits and 10 RBIs.
Macey Pugh, Cascade
Pugh went 8-for-14 with a couple doubles across four games. She accounted for two of her five doubles and three of her nine runs scored in an 18-6 win over Franklin on Saturday. The senior also stole a base and turned two double plays vs. McCutcheon.
Aminah Saahir, Bloomington South
The Panthers played one of their toughest runs of the season and Saahir shined through all four games. She went 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, three RBIs and a steal vs. Bloomington North, 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI vs. Center Grove, 1-for-2 with a homer, three RBIs and a walk vs. Floyd Central and 1-for-3 with a run scored vs. Silver Creek.
Haley Schatko, Noblesville
Another mammoth week at the dish for the IU commit: 10 hits (three homers, two doubles), 12 RBIs and seven runs scored.
Adrienne Scott, Logansport
The senior collected six hits across four games with four RBIs. Scott homered in wins over Western and South Bend St. Joseph, and carries a .463 average through 16 games.
Kaitlyn Threlkel, Tippecanoe Valley
The junior highlighted her week with a 12th-inning walk-off homer vs. John Glenn on Tuesday. She finished the game with three hits, and finished the week with six hits, two homers and five RBIs.
Kaitlyn Whitlock, Silver Creek
The senior batted .643 with seven runs scored and seven steals in four games last week. She had three hits and stole two bases against New Albany, North Harrison and Bloomington South, and was perfect in the field, registering 11 putouts.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Homers, gems and steals: Vote for IndyStar softball players of the week (April 27-May 2)
Reporting by Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
