(Courtesy: Saint Louis Athletics)
Saint Louis freshman right fielder Mackenzie Peter (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt South) and freshman shortstop Alex Nickel (Steger, Ill./Marian Catholic) have been named the Atlantic 10 Conference softball Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively, for Feb. 17-23.
Peter posted a .615 batting average (8-for-13) to lead the Billikens to a 4-1 record at Mississippi’s Red and Blue Classic Feb. 21-23. She hit safely in every game, including multi-hit/multi-RBI games against Northern Colorado (three hits, three RBIs) and Bowling Green (two hits, two RBIs).
Among Peter’s eight hits were a home run and three doubles, boosting her slugging percentage to 1.077 for the weekend. She registered a .750 on-base percentage, aided by six walks and a hit-by-pitch, and was not retired in consecutive plate appearances throughout the tournament. Peter struck out just once in 20 plate appearances.
Nickel’s .357 (5-for-14) tournament average at the Red and Blue Classic included her first collegiate home run, a three-run shot, in a 3-for-3 performance against Bowling Green. She also had an RBI single against Ole Miss. Nickel struck out just twice in 15 plate appearances and handled 17 chances without an error.
For the season, Peter has six RBIs and leads the team in batting average (.480), hits (12), doubles (five), slugging percentage (.800) and on-base percentage (.594). Nickel carries a .292 batting average with six RBIs.
The Billikens (6-3) return to action Saturday and Sunday, March 1-2, at the All-Missouri Cancer Classic hosted by Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau.
