Softball

Balanon, Larsen Nab CCAA Softball Awards


After an impressive weekend on the fields of Turlock in the 2019 Tournament of Champions, Sonoma State’s Alee Balananon and Brooke Larsen of Chico State have been tapped as CCAA Player and Pitcher of the Week for March 25-31, respectively.

Currently occupying third in the CCAA standings, Balanon led Sonoma State to a 5-0 record and the tournament title in Turlock after the Seawolves racked up 43 runs over their West Region foes. Balanon, a junior from Tracy, provided eight of those scores as she batted .529 (9-for-17) with 17 total bases on the weekend. Also playing a midweek game against Western Washington, Balanon concluded the six-game nonconference swing with a .905 slugging percentage as Sonoma State improved its overall record to 21-9 on the season and they currently sit in third in the CCAA standings at 11-6.

Larsen, a sophomore from Sacramento, was a weekend-long standout in the pitcher’s circle for Chico State with a two-hit shutout highlighting three complete game victories for the No. 13 Wildcats. Larsen allowed just three runs and struck out 26 in 21 innings of work, holding opposing hitters to a .169 batting average in raising her season record to 14-2.

Friday, Larsen gave up a run on five hits and at the plate, delivered the walk-off game-winning RBI single in Chico State’s 2-1 victory over Central Washington. Saturday, Larsen struck out 10 Hawaii Hilo hitters as the Wildcats edged the Vulcans 3-2, and on Sunday she fanned nine while scattering a pair of hits in a 1-0 blanking of Concordia (Ore.). Offensively, Larsen again provided the walk-off, as her seventh inning sacrifice fly plated the lone run of the ballgame.

The Wildcats finished the weekend with a 4-1 record as the CCAA bested its opponents from the GNAC and PacWest at a remarkable clip, compiling an overall record of 35-20 with all 11 conference squads in the field of 27 teams. Along with Sonoma State’s unblemished weekend, UC San Diego also posted a 5-0 record with Cal State Dominguez Hills notching a 4-1 mark.

The Seawolves are slated to play four at Cal State San Marcos while the Wildcats head to Seaside to take on Cal State Monterey Bay. Both series’ are scheduled to start Friday, weather permitting.

Also nominated:
Player -
Jazmin Guzman, Cal State Dominguez Hills
Haley Nunes, San Francisco State
Morgan Ratliff, Cal State San Bernardino
Brittney Ross-Smith, UC San Diego
Pitcher -
Amanda Ramirez, Cal State San Bernardino
Brielle Vidmar, Sonoma State
Robyn Wampler, UC San Diego
Ashley Wies, Cal State Dominguez Hills

 
2019 CCAA Softball Weekly Awards
Player of the Week Pitcher of the Week
Jan. 28-Feb. 3 Dominique Walker, Cal State San Bernardino Alanna Phillips, UC San Diego
Feb. 4-10 Sarah Fukushima, Cal State East Bay Robyn Wampler, UC San Diego
Feb. 11-17 Alyssa Wing, UC San Diego Robyn Wampler, UC San Diego
Feb. 18-24 Amanda Flores, Chico State Brooke Larsen, Chico State
Feb. 25-March 3 Alexus Martinez, Stanislaus State Kyndra Marzorini, Stanislaus State
March 4-10 Chloe Wenger, Cal State Dominguez Hills Brielle Vidmar, Sonoma State
March 11-17 Claire Wayne, Chico State Hayley Fein, Cal State Monterey Bay
March 18-24 Brylynn Vallejos, San Francisco State Robyn Wampler, UC San Diego
March 25-31 Alee Balanon, Sonoma State Brooke Larsen, Chico State