KAYLA MEEKS EARNS PCSC PITCHER OF THE WEEK HONORS

5/7/2007

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sophomore right-hander Kayla Meeks was named the Pacific Coast Softball Conference (PCSC) Pitcher of the Week after leading the Hornets to a 3-1 series victory over Saint Mary’s last weekend.

A Sacramento State player has now earned conference pitcher or player of the week accolades each of the last three weeks. Meeks, who becomes the first Hornet pitcher to win the award this season, joins catcher Jamie Schloredt (May 1) and infielder Whitney Loomis (April 24) as the Sacramento State players to win consecutive weekly awards from the conference.

Meeks picked up complete-game victories in both her starts against Saint Mary’s in the first games of Saturday and Sunday’s doubleheaders. The Hanford, Calif., native combined to go 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA, allowing just two runs and 11 hits with nine strikeouts in 12.0 innings. In addition, Meeks surrendered just one extra base hit (double) over the two games.
    
In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, Meeks allowed just five hits and one run over seven innings while striking out seven. On Sunday, she gave up one run and six hits over 5.0 innings as the game was stopped after five innings because of the Hornets’ 9-1 mercy rule victory.
    
After beginning the season with a 2-7 record, Meeks won 10 of her last 15 decisions to finish the year 12-12 with a 3.26 ERA. Since a victory on March 20 against Kansas, Meeks completed the last six weeks of the season by going 10-5 with a 2.52 ERA. That included allowing just one run in each of her last four starts of the season.

Meeks was a big part of the Hornets’ late-season surge that propelled the team into a second-place finish in the PCSC standings. Sacramento State concluded the 2007 season with a 20-33 overall record and an 11-8 mark in the conference. Through the first 10 weeks of the season, the Hornets were 11-30, but finished strong with victories in nine of their last 12 games. That included 3-1 series victories in consecutive weeks over Santa Clara, San Diego and Saint Mary’s. Meeks was a combined 5-0 during that span.