Five Student-Athletes Earn OCCAC Player, Pitcher of the Week Recognition

By Nicholas Huenefeld/OCCAC Sports Information

Springfield, Ohio---Justine Barnes, Racquel Ward, Aron Mowery, Kyle Ruehlman and Anthony Savarino comprise the OCCAC player and pitcher of the week recipients in softball and baseball for games played April 24-30.

OCCAC Softball Player of the Week
Justine Barnes, Lakeland C.C.

Barnes batted 9-for-22 (.409) with eight runs, five doubles, one triple, eight RBI and seven walks over eight games last week. She is now hitting 45-for-117 (.385) with 45 runs, 17 doubles, five triples, eight home runs, 41 RBI, 17 walks and 14 stolen bases this year for Lakeland (21-15 overall).

OCCAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Racquel Ward, Cuyahoga C.C.

Ward went 2-0 with 13 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA over two appearances against Lakeland last week. In a 6-2 win, she went seven innings and allowed three hits, two runs (zero earned) and struck out nine. In a 7-6 win, she entered in relief and pitched the final 5.1 innings to pick up the decision.

Ward is now 18-5 overall this year with one save and 13 complete games. In 124.1 innings, she has a 1.46 ERA and 137 strikeouts. Her team is now 28-10 overall.

OCCAC Baseball Player of the Week
Aron Mowery, Sinclair C.C.

Mowery, a freshman catcher, batted 10-for-14 (.714) with three runs, two doubles, one triple, one home run, two walks and seven RBI last week. He hit for the cycle in his team's win over Clark State on April 28. 

Mowery is now hitting 28-for-80 (.350) with 11 runs, six doubles, two triples, one home run, 20 RBI, nine walks and two stolen bases this year for Sinclair. His team is 37-11 overall and 14-2 in OCCAC play, which is one game behind Cuyahoga for first place.

OCCAC Baseball Co-Pitcher of the Week
Kyle Ruehlman, Sinclair C.C. and Anthony Savarino, Cuyahoga C.C. 

Ruehlman, a freshman RHP, tossed a complete game one-hitter with no walks and nine strikeouts as his team defeated Clark State in his lone appearance of the week. Savarino, a sophomore RHP, also tossed a complete game while allowing just four hits and no walks with five strikeouts to help his team pick up a win over Lakeland.

Ruehlman is now 3-1 this year with a 0.72 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 25.0 innings. Savarino is now 7-0 overall with four complete games and a 1.39 ERA over 51.2 innings. He has struck out 46 batters.

Sinclair (37-11, 14-2 OCCAC) and Cuyahoga (37-9, 15-1 OCCAC) are scheduled to meet this weekend in a four-game series to determine this year's OCCAC champion.