ST. LOUIS – Missouri State softball’s McKenzie Vaughan has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week for her performance at the Ole Miss Classic last weekend, the league announced today.
Vaughan was the leader in the circle for Missouri State last weekend as the Bears went 3-2 at the Ole Miss Classic. She owned a 0.40 earned run average in 17.1 innings pitched and earned her first victory of the season as she went 1-0. Vaughan allowed just one earned run on 15 hits and walked three while striking out 17 batters. She owned a .221 opposing batting average, giving up just one extra base hit, while also recording a save, a complete game and a combined shutout on the weekend.
Vaughan made her first appearance of the weekend by coming on in relief against SEMO and earning the save, as she logged one inning in which she allowed no hits and struck out one. Her second appearance came against Ole Miss in relief as she pitched 1.2 innings and allowed six hits, one earned run and struck out one.
She drew her first start of the weekend against Mount St. Mary’s, tossing 7.2 innings and allowing four hits, while giving up no earned runs and striking out a career-high 10 Mountaineers in MSU’s victory.
Vaughan once again started in the circle in MSU’s rematch against Mount St. Mary’s with the sophomore earning the complete-game victory, marking her first win of the season. She threw seven innings and allowed no earned runs on five hits while striking out five. She also helped her own cause at the plate in the final game, launching a solo homer to left field in the top of the seventh inning that served as the game-winner.
The honor marks the first Valley weekly award of Vaughan’s career.
Missouri State is back in action this weekend at the Shocker Classic hosted by Wichita State. The Bears will begin the tournament on Saturday, March 11 with matchups against Nebraska at 12 p.m. and Wichita State at 5 p.m. CT.
