Rochester, Mn- 

The week of May 2-8 represented the last days of regular season play in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference softball schedule, with several teams turning in strong performances to cement spots in the post-season.  In particular,  a pair of MCAC South student-athletes rose to the occasion to allow their squads to finish the regular season on a high note and have earned MCAC South Pitcher-of-the-Week and Player-of-the-Week for their efforts. 

St. Cloud Technical and Community College pitcher Ashley Pool found herself locked in a pitchers dual with fellow MCAC ace and M-State Spartan Tarryn Justeson on Thursday,  May 4th.   In an extra-innings affair in which she faced 32 batters, Pool outlasted the M-State squad, leading her team to a 2-1, 9-stanza victory.  The freshman from Zimmerman only allowed four hits and one earned run, while walking three. With the win, Ashley Pool heads into the post-season with a 15-3 overall record on the year.   SCTCC begins regional play Thursday, May 11th, when they host the NJCAA Region XIIIA four-team tournament.  

In a season-ending sweep of Riverland Community College, Tanner Gunnink of Minnesota West, was almost impossible to stop from the plate.  Gunnink, a sophomore from Lake Wilson, went 6-for-9 over the two-game competition, including a home run and a pair of doubles.  She knocked in five RBI's and did not strike out in either game. The sweep on the road allowed Minnesota West to clinch the fourth and final berth into the NJCAA Region XIIIA tournament, where they will face the top seeded Cyclones of SCTCC on Thursday, May 11. 

For complete final standings in MCAC softball, please go to: www.mcacsports.org 

Story courtesy of MCAC Sports