Troy, NY – The Sage Colleges' softball team's sophomore second baseman, Kristen Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) and rookie pitcher, Katie Kovage (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosick Falls Central) were both recognized by the Skyline Conference with the announcement of the weekly awards. For the second week in a row, Kovage was named the Co-Rookie of the Week, while Beikirch was named the Co-Player of the Week.
Last week, Beikirch collected 16 hits in 25 at-bats (.640) with 10 runs scored and seven RBI in a 4-2 week for the Gators. She cracked five doubles and a home run and went 3-for-4 with three RBI in a 7-6 loss to Farmingdale State on April 7. She also had a pair of multi-hit performances on April 6 as Sage earned two wins (4-1, 5-2) against Old Westbury. She also collected five hits on April 4 in the Gators' 20-4 victory over Skidmore.
On Tuesday, She was part of Sage's sweep of Cazenovia College and paced the Gators. In the first game, an 8-0 win, she was 2-4 with a pair of runs scored, a double, a triple and a stolen base. In the nightcap, Beikirch collected her 100th career hit and became the 10th player in Sage softball history to hit the mark. She now has 102 career hits in just 70 games played in a Gator uniform. She was 3-4 with four runs scored, three RBI's, a double and a home run. The reigning Skyline Conference Co-Player of the Week, she boasts a team-best eight doubles, 29 runs scored, 40 hits and a .488 batting average. She is already No. 10 on the career double list with 13 and boasts a .453 career batting average. With the release of the latest NCAA Division III Softball Statistics, Beikirch ranks No. 37 nationally in batting average while also ranking in the Top 200 in slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
For Kovage, she was recognized for her efforts last week as the Gators went 4-2. Kovage notched a pair of complete-game victories over three starts while posting a 1.17 earned run average. She tossed a one-hit shutout and did not walk a batter on April 4 in the Gators' 8-0 win versus Skidmore and yielded an unearned run on five hits as Sage recorded a 4-1 victory over Old Westbury on April 6.
Against Cazenovia, she recorded the pair of wins in the circle for the Gators and is now 5-1 on the season. In the first game, she picked up her third shutout victory as she allowed just three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. She added to her success as the Gators' pitcher of record by going 1-2 at the plate with a pair of RBI's and a double. She ranks 90th in Division III in shutout wins as well.
The Gators will be back in action on April 13 hosting Purchase College in a Skyline Conference doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. at Robison Field at the Neff Athletic Center (Troy, NY).
