[Softball] Kelly Rinker earns first CCAC Player of the Week honor

CHICAGO --- Connecting for 15 consecutive hits during a week in which she batted .593, Olivet Nazarene University's Kelly Rinker has been named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the seven-day period ending March 11, while CCAC Pitcher of the Week recognition went to University of St. Francis' Morghan Dieringer (New Lenox, Ill.), it was announced by the league office Tuesday morning.

Rinker, a sophomore infielder, started her string of 15 hits in as many official plate appearances with a single in the sixth inning of an 8-7 loss to Northwestern College (Iowa) on March 6.  She was perfect over the next four games, authoring a pair of three-hit games and two four-hit games before finally being retired in a 9-0 win over Dakota Wesleyan University on March 8. 

Overall, Rinker totaled 24 hits in 43 at bats over the 12 games with seven being multi-hit affairs.  Included among her hit count were five doubles and one triple.  She also drove in 14 runs and scored another 13 to finish with averages of better than one hit, one RBI and one run scored per contest during the week. 

Rinker's four-hit games came against Missouri Valley College last Wednesday and Fisher College (Mass.) on Thursday.

Olivet Nazarene, among others receiving votes in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll, went 8-4 during the week to sit at 12-7 on the season.

Dieringer, a senior right-hander, accounted for four of the Saints' seven wins during the week, while saving one other victory.  For the seven-day stretch, she posted a 4-2 record with the one save and an earned run average of 1.83.  In her 37 innings of work, she struck out 55 batters against 11 walks.

Two of Dieringer's wins came against teams mentioned in the latest poll.  She struck out eight and scattered five hits last Tuesday (March 6) in a 3-1 decision over Concordia University (Neb.), a team receiving votes in the poll.  Two days later, she scored a 7-5 complete-game upset victory over No. 10 Indiana Wesleyan University with 11 strikeouts and all five runs being unearned.

Dieringer also struck out 11 batters in a 4-3 nod over Missouri Valley last Monday.

No. 11-ranked USF registered a 7-3 record during the week to improve to 8-4 on the season.

Other Player Nominations: Kayla Garcia (St. Francis), Cam Wicker (Roosevelt).

Other Pitcher Nominations: Emily Carstens (Olivet Nazarene).