University of North Carolina Athletics
Lynch Earns Third ACC Pitcher Of The Week Honor
May 9, 2016 | Softball
GREENSBORO – Tar Heel junior Kendra Lynch finishes the 2016 regular season just as she began it—as the ACC Pitcher of the Week. The Indianapolis native picks up her third weekly honor of the season, after winning the first award of the year on Feb. 16 and garnering it again on April 11. Teammates Kristen Brown (Feb. 22) and Berlynne Delamora (Apr. 4, May 2) also combined for three ACC Player of the Week awards this season, as the six weekly awards is the most for Carolina since 2009. Lynch is the fifth Tar Heel in program history to earn three Pitcher of the Week awards in her career.
Lynch led UNC to a sweep of Georgia Tech with both her arm and her bat, tossing all 21 innings for Carolina and allowing just two earned runs while driving in four at the plate.
“Kendra was a work horse this weekend,” said head coach Donna J. Papa. “I felt like she got stronger every game she pitched. She pitched with poise and confidence.”
The junior began the weekend with a three-hit shutout, facing just two batters over the minimum, then homered to back to her own effort. She did not allow an earned run again in Sunday's series finale, giving up just four hits while again helping her own cause with an RBI double and a home run. The right-hander posted a 0.67 ERA while slugging 1.300 at the plate with two doubles and two home runs.
“She also hit the ball very well,” said Papa, “helping us on the offensive side with home runs and doubles, driving in a number of runs to help her cause. She is an outstanding talent.”
With three complete games on the weekend, she moved into second place all time at UNC in single-season innings pitched and starts, third in appearances in fifth in wins.
The Tar Heel hurler shares ACC Pitcher of the Week honors with Louisville freshman Megan Hensley. Hensley did not allow a run in two appearances against No. 5 Florida State while holding the Seminoles to a .111 batting average, surrendering only two hits in 8.2 innings of work. The freshman from Ashland, Kentucky, pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout to help the Cardinals to a 4-0 win in the series opener and did not allow a hit or a run in 1.2 innings of relief in Louisville's 4-3 loss on Sunday. Hensley's effort came against a Florida State team that ranks third in the nation in runs scored, averaging nearly eight per game.
Additionally, Notre Dame designated player Caitlyn Brooks was named the final ACC Player of the Week for 2016. Brooks batted .667 and slugged 1.444 while posting an on-base percentage of .750 as the Fighting Irish took two of three from NC State. The Burbank, California, freshman drove in seven runs in the three-game series while blasting five extra-base hits—a home run and four doubles. Brooks played a key role in the series opener, going 3-for-4 at the plate while driving in team-season-high five runs to spark Notre Dame from a six-run deficit to a 15-14 win.
The trio represents the final weekly awards of the 2016 season, with the annual All-Conference teams to be announced this week prior to the 2016 ACC Softball Championship. The postseason tournament will be hosted by NC State at Dail Softball Stadium on May 12-14. Carolina earned the fifth seed and will open play against #4-seed Boston College on Thursday, May 12, at 1:30 p.m.
