Balschmiter named Pitcher of the Week

University of Massachusetts sophomore Brandice Balschmiter (a Newark graduate) was named the Atlantic 10 Softball Pitcher of the Week.

An eight-time Pitcher of the Week in 2006, Balschmiter earns the league's first honor of the 2007 season.

Balschmiter went 1-1 with a 0.37 ERA in the Minutewomen's season-opening weekend at the Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego, Calif., Feb. 9-11. She pitched three games against teams either ranked or receiving votes in the poll and allowed just one earned run on 15 hits and four walks in 19.0 innings pitched. She had 15 strikeouts and held opponents to a .211 batting average.

Balschmiter tossed a four-hit shutout with six strikeouts in the Minutewomen's 1-0 win over California. She also took a tough loss against Oregon State despite allowing just one earned run in seven innings of a 3-1 loss.

In her third start of the week against Kansas, Balschmiter allowed no earned runs but the game was called a 1-1 tie after being halted for rain in the top of the sixth inning.

Massachusetts returns this weekend in the prestigious NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia. The Minutewomen will face Florida, Baylor, DePaul and Georgia Tech in pool play Feb. 23-24, before the championship round of the tournament on Sunday.

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