Armstrong and Bigej Help Bears Sweep SLC Honors

Courtesy University of Central Arkansas Athletics Department

The Central Arkansas softball team saw their week get even better on Tuesday, as they swept the Southland Conference’s weekly awards. Outfielder Sarah Bigej was named the conference’s Hitter of the Week, and pitcher Kelsie Armstrong was named the conference Pitcher of the Week.

Bigej was a huge part of a Central Arkansas offense that outscored their opponents 67-9 in six games this week, putting up a line of .471/.571/1.118 with five extra-base hits and 12 RBI. Bigej reached base in five of the six games the Bears played this week, getting on multiple times in four of the games. She had a huge Saturday, going 6-for-11 with nine RBI, four runs scored, two triples, a double and a home run. Against Northern Iowa on Saturday, Bigej helped Central Arkansas dismantle the Panthers, scoring a run in the Bears’ 13-run first inning and adding a three run homer in the third. Later that night, Bigej was the leader of a Central Arkansas offense that scored 20 runs on Arkansas-Pine Bluff. In the game, she was a perfect 4-for-4, hitting two triples and a double on her way to five RBI.

Armstrong was nearly unhittable this week, going a perfect 4-0 in four appearances, throwing 19.2 innings with an ERA of 0.71. She struck out more than two batters per innings, with a ridiculous 20/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Armstrong struck out at least 12 batters in all three of her starts, adding three more on six batters faced in a relief appearance. On Saturday against Grambling State, Armstrong actually was unhittable, throwing the second no-hitter of her career and coming up just a Central Arkansas error short of a perfect game. 

The Bears, who currently own a record of 11-5, look to expand upon their success in the upcoming weekend, traveling to Macon, Georgia to take place in the 2013 Mercer Bears Classic. The team will play Tennessee-Chattanooga and Mercer on Friday before squaring off with Northern Kentucky on Saturday. The times and opponents of two additional games will depend upon the results of Central Arkansas’ first three games.