CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – For the third-consecutive week, a
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball player earned a weekly honor
with junior Michelle Fuzzard (Huntington Beach, Calif.) being named Southern Conference Player of the Week
on Monday. She helped lead the Lady Mocs to a sweep at the Frost Classic this
weekend and extend the team's win streak to 11.
This is the second honor of the season and third overall for
Fuzzard, who was named pitcher of the week to begin the campaign on Feb. 14. The
first acknowledgment for Fuzzard was on May 4, 2009 as a player of the week.
Fuzzard compiled a .643 batting average on nine hits, two
doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI. She recorded a 1.214 slugging percentage and
notched a career-high five RBI against East
Tennessee State.
The Huntington Beach, Calif., native blasted three-run bombs
in the first inning of the two opening contests against Toledo and the Bucs on
Friday setting the tone for the entire weekend.
"I think that we are a lot more relaxed as a team and are seeing the
ball better at the plate," said Fuzzard after the first day of the Frost Classic. "I know that is the case for myself because I
am not gripping my bat really hard and trying to hit it out, but the power is just
coming naturally. It is the same attitude that the rest of the team has right now."
She started the Frost Classic 8-for-8 with two home runs,
two doubles and eight RBI. She added two walks before a stretch of 11-consecutive
hits ended against Northern Iowa that dated back to the UT Martin 4-3 (8 inn.)
victory in the South Alabama Mardi Gras Tournament on Feb. 20.
"She is hitting the ball really well and her confidence is
increasing [coming off the knee injury last year]," said Head Coach Frank Reed following the Northern Iowa game. "She
has worked very hard for everything she gets because it has definitely not been handed to her."
The Huntington Beach, Calif., native went 1-for-2 in the
finale against UT Martin registering a sacrifice fly in the first and a bases
loaded RBI single in the fifth that went off the top of the wall in right. The
runners had to hold up on the line shot, only allowing one run to score.
Chattanooga heads to Athens, Ga., this weekend for the
Bulldog Invitational that begins on Friday with a matchup against Indiana at 9
a.m. The Lady Mocs continue the even on Saturday and Sunday by facing host
Georgia, Campbell twice and James Madison. Live statistics courtesy of Georgia
can be found on the softball schedule page of GoMocs.com.
