April 12, 2011
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State softball players Lorena Klopp (San Diego/Steele Canyon HS) and Bailey Micetich (Woodland, Calif.) swept the Mountain West Conference weekly awards, the league announced Tuesday. Klopp was named the MWC Player of the Week, while Micetich earned pitcher-of-the-week accolades.
The duo helped the Aztecs to a 5-0 record last week, including a 3-0 mark to start Mountain West play. All five of the wins were on the road as SDSU combined to outscore the opposition, 57-14. San Diego State has now won 13 consecutive games, matching its school record (2003 and 2006).
A freshman, Klopp batted .538 (7-for-13) with a team-high five home runs and 18 RBIs. Klopp also led the Aztecs in total bases (23) and slugging percentage (1.769), and was perfect in three fielding chances. With the good weekend, Klopp set the SDSU single-season record in RBIs (42) and helped the team set a single-season record with 29 home runs.
At Cal State Northridge on April 5, Klopp hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning to give San Diego State a 4-1 win. In the nightcap, Klopp had a three-run homer in the Aztecs' 13-0, five-inning win at the Matadors.
On April 8 at New Mexico, Klopp had a solo home run in SDSU's 8-0, five-inning victory. The following day at Colorado State, Klopp played an instrumental role in San Diego State rallying back from a 9-1 deficit by going 2-for-4 with two homers and six RBIs in a 15-11 win. The two home runs tied a school single-game high with two others (second time Klopp has done it this season), while the six RBIs also tied a single-game best (last done in 2007). Klopp finished out her weekend on April 10, going 2-for-2 with a double and four RBIs as the Aztecs downed the Rams, 17-2, in five innings.
On the season, Klopp is batting .280 with a school-record 14 home runs (tied for ninth in the country) and 42 RBIs. Her .748 slugging percentage would also be a single-season program best if the year ended today.
Micetich, meanwhile, went 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA, pitching 18 of the team's 29 innings. The right-handed junior appeared in four of the five games, starting three. She had three complete games, a shutout and struck out 13 while walking five. Micetich also limited the opposition to a .159 average.
On April 5 at Cal State Northridge, Micetich gave up one run on four hits and two walks over seven innings in SDSU's 4-1 win. On April 8 at New Mexico, Micetich tossed a complete game three-hit shutout in the team's 8-0, five-inning victory. She struck out two without issuing a walk.
On April 9 at Colorado State, Micetich tossed a scoreless seventh in San Diego State's 15-11 come-from-behind win. She struck out two and walked one without allowing a hit. The following day, Micetich yielded two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks over five innings in the Aztecs' 17-2 victory. She struck out six to extend her winning streak to nine decisions.
On the year, Micetich is 14-7 with a league-low 1.71 ERA. Micetich has 120 strikeouts against 24 walks. Among the national leaders, Micetich ranks 32nd in walks allowed per seven innings (1.42), tied for 45th in victories and 59th in ERA.
SDSU continues league play with three key home games this weekend, beginning with Thursday's contest against Utah (6 p.m. PT). San Diego State also plays host to MWC preseason favorite Brigham Young on Friday (6 p.m. PT) and Saturday (1 p.m. PT).