Pac-12 announces softball players of the week

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - OREGON STATE junior outfielder Dani Gilmore was voted Pac-12 Softball Player of the Week and UCLA junior Ally Carda was voted Pac-12 Softball Pitcher of the Week for play from April 28-May 4, the Conference office announced today. 

Gilmore (West Hills, Calif.) had a strong weekend for the Oregon State softball team, helping the Beavers to their first series win over Stanford since 2007. Her weekend was highlighted by a grand slam on Friday as part of a 2-for-3, five-RBI performance. Gilmore followed that by going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI on Saturday. Overall, the junior hit .500 over the course of the week with an .800 slugging percentage. Gilmore ends the season with a .407 batting average, the fourth-best single-season batting average in school history. 

Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) pitched 17 2/3 innings of the Bruins’ 22 last weekend at No. 3 Arizona State, earning two wins and striking out 21 batters to help UCLA to a series victory. The junior opened the weekend with a tough loss, giving up a home run in the first inning for the only score of the game as the Bruins lost, 2-0, despite Carda’s nine strikeouts. On Friday, she pitched seven innings in relief, striking out eight as UCLA fought back to win, 9-5, in nine innings. Carda rounded out the weekend by winning her 29th game of the year, striking out four in 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief. She leads the Bruins with a 1.74 earned run average, a 29-4 record and 210 strikeouts in 197 1/3 innings. 

It is the first-career honor for Gilmore and marks the 37th all-time weekly award for Oregon State. Carda’s honor is the third of her career, all of which have come this season. It is the 132nd all-time weekly award for the Bruins. 

Both teams finished the regular season last week. UCLA moves on to play in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship, and will host a regional round beginning on May 16 and lasting through May 18. The round is double elimination and UCLA’s field features Notre Dame, Long Beach State and Southern Utah. 

For more information, including a full schedule, visit www.pac-12.com. 

Also Nominated:
Player: Chelsea Goodacre, ARIZ; Tylyn Wells, STAN; Ally Carda, UCLA; Anissa Urtez, UTAH; Kylee Lahners, WASH. 
Pitcher: Melanie Dembinski, OSU; Madi Schreyer, STAN; Sammy Cordova, UTAH; Kaitlin Inglesby, WASH. 

2014 Pac-12 Softball Players of the Week