Fort Hays State softball players Maddie Holub and Tori Beltz were named the MIAA Softball Athletes of the Week on Tuesday (Apr. 23). For an impressive seventh time this year, Holub was named the Pitcher of the Week, while freshman Tori Beltz collects her first career Hitter of the Week honor.
Holub had another stellar week in the pitching circle, coming just one out shy of throwing back-to-back no hitters on the road over the weekend. She pitched her fourth no-hitter of the season at Southwest Baptist, facing just one batter over the minimum with 13 strikeouts and just one hit batter. It was the fifth complete game no-hitter of her career. She also had a no-hitter all the way to the final out at Central Missouri, going 6.2 innings before allowing her only hit of the week, a double to Jackie Prater. She faced just two batters over the minimum against UCM, also allowing a walk in the first inning, and struck out 12. For the week Holub was 2-0 with two shutouts, a 0.00 ERA, and 25 strikeouts in 14 innings, averaging 12.5 strikeouts per seven innings. Holub now has 10 shutouts on the season. She is 22-1 overall for the season and helped Fort Hays State break the school record for most wins in a season with the team’s 36th victory in game one at SBU.
Beltz was a difficult out for opponents last week, hitting .727 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored. She had a slugging percentage of 1.182 and on-base percentage of .769. Beltz reached base in her first 11 plate appearances for the week and she recorded hits in eight consecutive at bats from game one against Southwest Baptist on Saturday through game one against Central Missouri on Sunday. In game one against SBU, she reached by error and walk in her first two at bats, then recorded a double and a single. She followed in game two with a two-run home run and two singles, going 3-for-3 in the game. She remained hot in game one against Central Missouri, starting the game with a double and two singles before getting walked in her fourth at bat, going 3-for-3 for the second straight game. Her streak of reaching base in 11 straight plate appearances was snapped in game two against UCM.
-FHSU Sports Information-