May 2, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
After leading her team to a pair of Missouri Valley Conference victories last weekend against No. 19 Southern Illinois, senior pitcher Shannon Nicholson has been named the Prairie Farms/MVC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week, the league office announced on Wednesday.
Nicholson also earned the honor on March 7, while members of the Redbird softball team have now been acknowledged five times this season. Fellow `Birds Stacy Birk (March 14 and 21) and Tiffany Prager (March 28) were also honored earlier this year. Additionally, Illinois State female student-athletes have been given the nod nine times in the 2006-07 school year, more than any other league institution.
Nicholson went 2-0 on the weekend for Illinois State, picking up a pair of wins in the circle over the ranked Salukis. The senior gave up just one run in two appearances to a powerful SIU lineup that was averaging 5.24 runs per contest. Nicholson also collected a shutout, 5-0, in her first victory in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, while tallying two complete games and pitching 14.0 total innings against Southern Illinois.
The Chatham, Ill., native gave up 15 hits to SIU, but none of those were extra-base knocks. She also walked just two batters and struck out 15, while recording a 0.50 ERA.
Nicholson and the Redbirds will close out the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season this weekend, taking on Missouri State on May 5-6 at Redbird Softball Complex.
