Posted: 04/09/2012 | Last updated: April 9, 2012 at 04:19 PM
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Two Lehigh softball players were honored Monday with Patriot League awards for their efforts, as the Mountain Hawks rolled to a 5-1 record last week highlighted by a four-game weekend sweep of Patriot League rival Bucknell. For the fourth straight week, freshman Emily Bausher was honored by the league with a Rookie of the Week nod, her fifth honor in the last six weeks. Senior Jen Colquhoun was named the Patriot League Player of the Week for the third time this season, tying a league record for Player of the Week awards in a single season.
Bausher went 2-1 with an ERA of 2.00 while striking out 11 and not allowing a walk in three appearances last week. She pitched eight scoreless innings this weekend over two starts against Bucknell, allowing just three total hits and striking out seven of the 27 batters she faced. She retired the first 11 Bison she faced on Saturday and combined with sophomore Kelsey Lee on a one-hitter in Sunday’s series finale.
The New Egypt, N.J. native has not allowed a run in 19 innings of Patriot League play, allowing just two walks and striking out 25 over that span. She is now 11-8 with a 1.42 ERA on the season, with a team-high 131 strikeouts in 113.1 innings of work.
Bausher also contributed at the plate last week, going 4-7 with three RBIs, including a pair of RBI in Lehigh’s 9-0 series-opening win against Bucknell.
Colquhoun batted .500 with ten RBIs and eight runs scored, while adding three home runs in the six contests last week. The Oak Park, Calif. native was 6-for-10 with two home runs, nine RBIs and six runs scored against Bucknell, helping the Mountain Hawks outscore the Bison 34-0 over the weekend. In the final game of the weekend Colquhoun blasted a three-run home run in the second inning, followed by a two-run shot in her next at bat for her second two-homer game in eight days. Half of Colquhoun’s 40 RBI this season have come in Lehigh’s eight Patriot League tilts.
On the season, Colquhoun leads the Patriot League in hits (51), RBI (40), runs scored (34), home runs (12) and triples (five), while her .425 batting average is second in the league only to teammate Julie Fernandez (.439). She is just one home run shy of the Lehigh single season record set by Lisa Sweeney in 2008, and just two shy of Lehigh’s career home run record, also held by Sweeney
Junior pitcher Becca Bliss also received an honorable mention for her feats last week, going 3-0 and allowing just one run in 16 innings while striking out 11, earning a seven-inning win against Rider and two shutout victories against Bucknell.
Lehigh (24-14, 8-0 Patriot League) has won 11 of its last 12 games and sits atop the league standings, one game ahead of Colgate. The Mountain Hawks have outscored Lafayette and Bucknell 69-4 in eight Patriot League games so far this season.
The Mountain Hawks are back in action Wednesday as they visit perennial northeast power Hofstra for a midweek doubleheader. Game one is set for 3:30 p.m. from Hempstead, N.Y.
Story by Gordon Stevenson ‘12