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Memphis' Nikki Moreno Named C-USA Hitter of the Week
April 13, 2009
For Immediate Release IRVING, Texas - After leading the University of Memphis softball team to a three-game league sweep of preseason favorite Houston, the Tigers' Nikki Moreno is the Conference USA Softball Hitter of the Week. She is the first Memphis player to receive the weekly hitting honor. Moreno went 5-for-7 (.714) in a three-game sweep over Houston with five RBI, two runs scored, a 1.286 slugging percentage, two walks and no strikeouts. The freshman helped Memphis earn the first league three-game sweep over Houston since Louisville in 2005 and the series win was the first for the Tigers this season. She increased her season batting average nearly 50 points in the three games from .254 to .303 and nearly doubled her RBI production on the year. The Tracy, Calif., native was 2-for-3 with a run scored and recorded four of the team's five RBI, including the game-winner, to help Memphis earn a comeback 5-3 victory in the first game of the series on Friday. The catcher hit a two-run double and a two-run dinger in the game, for her first collegiate home run. Moreno was 2-for-2 in game two and received the team's first intentional walk of the season in the fifth inning. In the eventual game three win, Moreno tied the game at one with an RBI single and went 1-for-2 with a walk in the contest. The weekly honor is the first of Moreno's career and is the first weekly honor for a Memphis player since 2007. Former Tiger ace Jenna Kubesch earned C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors four times in her two-year career from 2006-07. East Carolina ace Toni Paisley and Tulsa's Jackie Lawrence share the Pitcher of the Week honor. Paisley picked up two shutout victories over UTEP and in 20 innings of work on the week, she struck out 29 hitters and allowed just two earned runs. Lawrence was dominant in three games last week, helping the Golden Hurricane to three wins while collecting two wins and a save.
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Memphis Tigers
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