Knowles Named PBC Player of the Week
DAHLONEGA -- No. 8 University of North Georgia (UNG) softball freshman catcher Carleigh Knowles has been named as the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week the league office announced Monday.
Knowles put together yet another collection of outstanding performances last week that were highlighted by a weekend sweep of Georgia College.
In the opener of the series on Friday, Knowles blasted two home runs as she went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs in a 13-6 win.
She came back less than 24 hours later and belted three more home runs in a doubleheader sweep.
In total for the week, Knowles went 9-for-15 (.660) at the dish with nine runs scored, a double, five home runs and a whopping 12 RBIs. She posted a 1.667 slugging percentage (SLG) for the week.
She homered in 55.6 percent of at bats against the Bobcats, totaling a 2.667 SLG on the weekend alone.
Knowles now has 17 homers on the season which is tied for the most in the country among all NCAA Division-II hitters. It also ties the NCAA era program record for the third most home runs in a season. The current record for most homers in a single year stands at 19. Knowles is on pace to break that before the regular season ends.
Along with leading the nation in home runs, the true freshman ranks fourth nationally this season in slugging (.967) and total bases (116). She's fifth among all hitters across the country with 52 RBI and also ranks 15th with 45 runs scored. She ranks third in the league or better in those categories, leading the PBC in SLG, on-base plus slugging (1.448), RBIs and home runs.
Knowles had already become the first player in program history to win a Player of the Week and two Freshman of the Week (three total awards) in the same season. With her fourth weekly honor this season, the catcher is just the second player in PBC history to win two Player and Freshman of the Week awards in one year.
Knowles and the Nighthawks take the field again on Tuesday, April 8 for a neutral site doubleheader against Lee in Chattanooga, Tenn. The twin billing begins with first pitch in game one at 2 p.m. from Frost Stadium.
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