For Immediate Release
Monday, May 10, 2021
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Player of the Week
#10 Torri Chute (C/INF, 5-6, So., L/L, Woodbury, Minn. / Stillwater HS) - Augustana
- Hit .571 during four Augustana wins including two over No. 20 Winona State
- Recorded eight hits in 14 at-bats and totaled nine RBI and five runs scored
- Went 2-for-3 with five RBI in the Viking's game one win over Winona State
- Followed with a 3-for-4 game in game one at Upper Iowa with three runs scored and three RBI
- Added a pair of doubles and a home run for a .929 slugging percentage
- Named NSIC Player of the Week for the second time this season (3/22/21)

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#9 McKayla Armbruster (RHP, Fr., R/R, Faribault, Minn. / Faribault HS) - Minnesota State
- Pitched 10 innings of scoreless ball including a two complete game (5.0 inning) shutouts
- Held opposing batters to a .139 average while allowing only five hits and striking out nine
-  Held batters to hit 1-13 (.067 average) with runners on base

Other Top Performances - Players 
#17 Cassie Querry (UMC) hit three home runs in four games against Minot State and UMary. She hit her second career grand slam on Sunday against Minot State as she drove in 10 runs in four games this weekend. She threw out five runners defensively as a catcher. 

#22 Sydney Nielsen (MSU) batted .500 in the four Maverick wins while recording six RBI, seven runs scored, a double and a triple. She earned two walks and went 2-2 on stolen base attempts. She hit 3-4 with runners in scoring positions and advanced runners in 4-6 at bats.

#22 Gabi Dawyduk (MINOT) had three hits and four RBI in Game 1 against Bemidji State and then three more hits with two RBI in Game 2 against BSU for a .750 (6-8) batting average with three runs scored, one double, and one stolen base. Dawyduk finished the weekend batting 7-14 (.500) with seven RBI to raise her season batting average to .435.

#23 Damaris Cuevas (USF) hit .454 with 5 hits in 11 at bats in four games at Concordia St. Paul and Minnesota State. She had a streak of five straight hits against CSP. She also had three RBI and a pair of multi-hit games as she has a .436 batting average for third in the league and the second best mark of USF’s DII era.

#18 Jasmin Estrada (SCSU) hit .583 on the week with seven hits in 12 at bats to help St. Cloud State go 3-1 in NSIC play. She tallied a 1.167 slugging percentage with a double and two home runs. She added a team-leading six RBI in the process. She recorded three multi-hit games including going 2-3 with three RBI and a home run in a 4-1 win over NSU. She scored the game winning run in a 6-5 nine inning win over Northern State on Sunday. She helped the Huskies move from the No. 9 to No. 6 seed in the NSIC tournament. She ranks top-10 in the NSIC in batting average, slugging, OBP, hits, RBI home runs and walks.

#4 Katie Crogan (UIU) hit 4-10 (.400) with four runs, three RBI, two walks, and a home run. Went 1-2 (.500) with two runs, a walk, and a three-run home run in a 9-6 win in game one against WSC. Hit 2-3 (.667) with a walk and scored two runs in an 8-7 win over WSC in game two.

#7 Libby Neveau (WSU) playing in four games over the weekend, went 5-for-9 at the plate and collected six RBI. Neveau had a home run and two doubles among her five hits. She also turned in an error-free weekend at third base, dealing with five total chances on the field.


Other Top Performances - Pitcher
Ashley Mickschl (AUGIE) went 2-0 in two complete games where she allowed just five hits over nine innings, giving up just two runs. In her win over No. 20 Winona State, she pitched a complete game three hitter, allowing just one run and totaled 55 pitches in the five-inning run-rule victory. She struck out five in that contest.

#23 Kali Kaestner (CSP) went 2-0 on the weekend, making two starts and improved to 12-7 on the season. She allowed no earned runs in 15 innings of work on the weekend. She struck out a combined 10 batters against USF and SMSU. She recorded her second complete game shutout victory of the season vs Sioux Falls. She pitched eight innings against Southwest Minnesota State and held opponents to a combine .178 batting average in her two starts. 

#20 Sam Pederson (UMD) recorded 17.0 innings pitched in two starts this weekend. She shut out MSU Moorhead in 5 innings and only surrendered one earned run in 17.0 innings. She struck out seven opposing hitters and is credited with winning decisions in both starts. At 2.28, her ERA is 8th best in the NSIC. Her ERA was 0.41 in two starts this weekend as she carries an 11-5 record this season.  

#22 Gabi Dawyduk (MINOT) tossed a season-high 7.0-innings to earn a complete-game victory at Bemidji State. Dawyduk allowed one unearned run and struck out four leading to her 5th win in the circle this season.

#22 Hanna Cress (USF), in three appearances over the weekend, was 1-1 in three appearances with two starts and had a 1.75 earned run average. She threw a complete game but lost a 1-0 decision to Minnesota State on Sunday. She also had a win in a 4-2 decision at Concordia St. Paul when she allowed just three hits and two runs. In the opener against CSP she threw one inning of scoreless relief.

#15 Trinity Junker (SCSU) posted a 2-0 record in the circle with a 0.57 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched. She surrendered just one earned run and eight hits over the weekend while tallying a career-high 18 strikeouts in two games. She opened the weekend with a complete game win over MSU Moorhead where she struck out a career-high 10 in 5.0 innings of work. She surrendered just three hits and walked one. She followed that up with another complete game performance in a 4-1 win over NSU. She tallied eight strikeouts and surrendered just one earned run on four hits. She lowered her season ERA to 1.86 over the weekend.

#3 Jordyn Kleman (WSU) went 1-1 over the weekend in a pair of starts for Winona State. After suffering a setback against #1 Augustana University, Kleman responded with a two-hit effort against Wayne State, leading the Warriors to a 18-0 shutout win. Kleman moved her record to 20-4 overall on the year, striking out five while walking none.

  
NSIC Softball Players of the Week
2/16/21
Player:  #14 Megan Conrads - St. Cloud State
Pitcher: #24 Sydney LaPoint - St. Cloud State
2/23/21
Player: #12 Makenzie Merritt  - Northern State
Pitcher: #23 Trinity Valentine - Minot State
3/1/21
Player: #20 Kendall Cornick - Augustana
Pitcher: #16 Alissa Alvarado - University of Mary
3/8/21
Player: #12 Jordyn Thomas - Minnesota Duluth
Pitcher: #17 Mackenzie Ward - Minnesota State
3/15/21
Player: #7 Libby Neveau - Winona State
Pitcher: #14 Liz Pautz - Winona State
3/22/21
Player: #10 Torri Chute - Augustana
Pitcher: #20 Stephi Dullum  - Bemidji State
3/29/21
Not Awarded
4/5/21
Player: #20 Grace Beseman - Concordia-St. Paul
Pitcher: #17 Mackenzie Ward  - Minnesota State (2)
4/12/21
Player: #22 Lauren Oberle - Minnesota Duluth
Pitcher: #9 Meghan Anderson - Northern State
4/19/21
Player: #30 Mary Pardo - Augustana
Pitcher: #17 Mackenzie Ward  - Minnesota State (3)
4/27/21
Player: #36 Amanda Dickmeyer - Augustana
Pitcher: #17 Mackenzie Ward  - Minnesota State (4)
5/3/21
Player: #20 Kendall Cornick - Augustana (2)
Pitcher: #17 Mackenzie Ward  - Minnesota State (4)
5/10/21
Player: #10 Torri Chute - Augustana (2)
Pitcher: #9 McKayla Armbruster - Minnesota State

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a 16-team union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 23 team national championships and crowned 77 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes have the opportunity to earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.