Release courtesy of Matt Higgins, MIAC Assistant Executive Director
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Gustavus ace Hannah Heacox (Stillwater, Minn.) continued her brilliant start to the 2016 conference season in a sweep over Saint Benedict. The junior pitcher was the winner in both games, allowing just two earned runs (0.93 ERA) on 17 hits and one walk with 14 strikeouts in 15 innings pitched, including an outstanding eight-inning relief performance to help her team rally for a 10-inning win. For her performance the MIAC sports information directors honored Heacox Monday with her second-straight MIAC Softball Pitcher-of-the-Week award.
Heacox got the nod in game one of Sunday’s twin bill and did her job beautifully, going the distance in a 5-1 win without allowing an earned run, as she held the Blazers to eight hits with no walks and nine strikeouts in seven innings. Then, with her team trailing 5-2, she was called to pitch again in game two in the third inning and she battle for eight innings as her team won, 10-8, in the 10th. Heacox allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits and one walk with five strikeouts as her team rallied from a 5-0 deficit to eventually earn the win. She is now 9-2 in 2016, with her nine wins ranking second in the MIAC. Her 86 strikeouts are the third-most in the league, and her 2.28 ERA is sixth-best in the MIAC.
Thanks to the sweep of Saint Ben’s, Gustavus is now 12-6 overall and 3-1 in conference play, alone in third place in the MIAC standings. Heacox and company have a huge week coming up with four MIAC doubleheaders on the schedule. The Gusties visit Hamline Tuesday (3:30 p.m.), then host Augsburg Wednesday (3:30 p.m.), Macalester Thursday (3:30 p.m.), and Saint Mary’s on Saturday (1 p.m.).