Ashley Wood named MVC Newcomer of the Week

Photo by: Will Becque

03/25/2019 | 5:22:00 | Softball

The freshman shortstop earned her second MVC Newcomer of the Week honor after she helped SIU to a three-game sweep of Valparaiso

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

ST. LOUIS — Freshman shortstop Ashley Wood has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, the league announced Monday.

Wood earned the second MVC Newcomer of the Week honor of her career after she hit .625 (5-for-8) with a .727 on-base percentage and a .875 slugging percentage in SIU's three-game sweep of Valparaiso. Wood tallied two doubles, two runs scored, a walk, two hit by pitches and a team-best seven RBI. In the field, the freshman shortstop recorded five putouts and three assists without committing an error. Wood reached base multiple times in all three wins, including a pair of multi-hit games.

In SIU's 20-1 run-rule win in game one, Wood went 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, a hit by pitch and 5 RBI. In SIU's 5-4 eight inning win in game two, Wood went 2-for-4 with a RBI-double. She closed out the weekend by going 1-for-2 with a hit by pitch and a RBI in Southern's 5-3 game three win. The Orland Park, Ill. native now leads the MVC in RBI with 30.

The Salukis return to Charlotte West Stadium on Wednesday, March 27 for a mid-week game against UT Martin. First pitch against the Skyhawks is set for 4 p.m.