Pirates Sweep Weekly C-USA Honors
March 30, 2009 | Softball
March 30, 2009
IRVING, Texas - East Carolina senior first baseman Jessica Johnson and redshirt sophomore pitcher Toni Paisley have been selected as the Conference USA Hitter-of-the-Week and Pitcher-of-the-Week, according to an announcement Monday by league officials. The selection is Johnson's first in 2009 and second of her career. For Paisley, the honor is her third-consecutive and fifth of the year, tying Keli Harrell for the most an ECU pitcher has received in a season. Together, the efforts of Johnson and Paisley have helped lead the Pirates to nine straight victories, the program's longest winning streak since March of 2007.
Johnson began her week going 4-for-6 with three runs batted in and a run scored during a doubleheader at UNC Wilmington and finished with a 5-for-9 performance against UCF. Her .600 batting average, six RBI and 15 total bases were all team highs during the five-game stretch. Johnson also had a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .647 on-base percentage.
She drove in the game-winning run in the opener against UNCW with her team-leading fourth home run of the season. In game one against the Knights, she again drove in the deciding run, this time with a two-out single to center field.
Johnson is currently on an eight-game hitting streak, the longest of her career, and has driven in at least one run in six of the last seven games. For her career, Johnson is ninth in Conference USA in career runs batted in with 137 and tied for eighth in league history in home runs with 29.
Paisley picked up four of the Pirates' five wins last week, including all three in the series sweep of UCF, while posting a 0.31 earned run average. UNC Wilmington managed the only run against her with a home run in the third inning of game one. After the long ball, Paisley allowed no runs in her final 18.1 innings. In 10 of her 22.1 innings, she retired her opponents in order.
Against UCF, Paisley allowed just three hits, a two-out single in the top of the seventh of game one and back-to-back singles in the top of the sixth of game three. In her last seven outings, she has not allowed more than one run.
She also helped her cause in the batter's box, driving in the game-winning run in game three against the Knights. For the week, she went 4-for-7 with three doubles and the first home run of her career.
East Carolina (24-9, 9-3 C-USA) will try to extend its winning streak to 10 games and up its record against in-state opponents to 4-0 when the team faces No. 18 North Carolina on Wednesday night at 6 in Chapel Hill.
