Lehigh University Athletics
Sweeney repeats as PL Pitcher of the Week
4/20/2009 6:15:00 PM | Softball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – For the second straight week, Lehigh senior Lisa Sweeney has been recognized as the Patriot League’s Pitcher of the Week, the league announced on Monday. The award is the third of the year for Sweeney, who fired her sixth shutout of the season, and allowed just one earned run in 15.2 innings as the Mountain Hawks clinched a Patriot League Tournament berth with a four-game series split at Bucknell.
Sweeney fired a two-hit shutout in Saturday’s series opener with the Bison, adding nine strikeouts in a 2-0 Lehigh victory. The two hits allowed matched the fewest allowed by Sweeney in a complete game outing this season, while the shutout marked the third consecutive start that Sweeney did not allow a run.
On Sunday, the Lumberton, N.J. native allowed a run on three hits in five innings, in the Mountain Hawks 10-1 run-rule win. Sweeney also pitched out of the bullpen in the nightcap, allowing one unearned run on one hit in 3.2 innings of work. Sweeney totaled 17 strikeouts and just four walks in three appearances last week and has now won her last ten decisions.
For the season, Sweeney is now 17-8 with an earned-run average that has dropped to 2.44. Her 183 strikeouts lead the Patriot League and leaver just 30 shy of 900 for her career. Sweeney has been even more dominant in league games, with a 9-1 record, 1.48 ERA and four shutouts against league foes.
Sweeney and the rest of the Mountain Hawks can clinch Lehigh’s 11th consecutive Patriot League regular season championship with two victories in next weekend’s four game series versus Holy Cross at Kaufman Field. Before that however; Lehigh steps out of league to take on Ivy League foe Princeton in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon. First pitch for game one is set for 3 p.m. from Class of 1895 Field in New Jersey.
