April 2, 2007
Hewitt, Kelly, and Halpin Honored as USA South Athletes of the Week
Methodist student-athletes receive weekly conference honors

FAYETTEVILLE, NC-  The USA South has announced their athletes of the week.  The conference gives an award for Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week for each sport active during the week.

Lesley Hewitt has been named the USA South Softball Pitcher of the Week.  The Garner, North Carolina sophomore picked up four conference wins last week for the Monarchs. For the week, Hewitt tossed 24.2 innings, giving up three runs, for a 1.09 ERA, on 16 hits with three walks and 21 strikeouts. Hewitt began the week by pitching a complete-game shutout in a 4-0 win over Shenandoah. Hewitt gave up three hits and struck out six batters in the game-one victory. In game-two of the doubleheader with the Hornets, Hewitt entered the contest in the fifth inning and held Shenandoah scoreless for the next 4.2 innings, earning the win. In a 5-3 win over Greensboro, Hewitt went the distance, allowing three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts to get the victory. Finally, in a 9-1 victory over Averett, Hewitt pitched four scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out three, to earn her fourth win of the week.

Rebekah Kelly has been named the USA South Softball Player of the Week.  The junior centerfielder from Fayetteville, North Carolina helped the Monarchs to a 5-1 week, all against conference opponents, by batting .609 (14-for-23) with six RBI, ten runs scored, one double, three triples, one home run and one stolen base. In a doubleheader sweep of Shenandoah, Kelly went 5-for-9 with three runs scored, four RBI, one double, two triples, one home run, one stolen base and one walk. In a doubleheader split with Greensboro, Kelly was 4-for-8 with three runs scored and a stolen base. Finally, in a doubleheader sweep of Averett, Kelly was 5-for-6 with four runs scored, two RBI and one triple.  The softball team will travel to Salem on Tuesday before hosting their final USA South doubleheader on Friday at 10 am against Ferrum.

Brian Halpin has been named the USA South Baseball Rookie of the Week.  The freshman second baseman from Monroe, Connecticut hit .615 (8-for-13) with six RBI, five runs scored, two walks, one sacrifice hit and one stolen base last week as the Monarchs went 3-1. In a 10-6 win over Guilford, Halpin was 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run scored, one walk and one stolen base. In an 11-8 win at Lynchburg, Halpin was a perfect 5-for-5 with three runs scored and one run batted in. Finally, in a doubleheader split with USA South foe Averett, Halpin was 1-for-4 with three RBI, one run scored, one walk and one sacrifice hit. Halpin's RBI single in the eighth-inning of game-two, proved to be the difference maker.  The baseball team will play at Virginia Wesleyan on Tuesday at 3 pm.

For more information about the USA South Athletic Conference visit http://www.usasouth.net/