WALTHAM, Mass. – A pair of Brandeis University seniors, Caroline Miller of Bala Cynwyd, Pa., and Marianne Specker of South Windsor, Conn., have earned University Athletic Association (UAA) Softball Pitcher and Batter of the Week honors for the week ending April 8.
Miller did not allow a run in 14 innings of work as she went 3-0. She struck out 26 and walked just three, while allowing just seven hits to hold opponents to a .143 batting average. She struck out six and allowed just two hits in three innings of a 20-1 win over Lasell on April 3. She tossed a five-inning two-hit shutout against Suffolk on April 4, when she struck out a career-high 12 batters, her fourth career 10K game. She rounded out the week with just three hits in six innings of a 4-1 win over Endicott on April 6, fanning eight and walking just two. Miller also homered in the wins over Lasell and Endicott as she hit .429 for the week with five RBI and five runs scored.
Specker, a senior who plays first base, helped the Judges go 6-0 last week by hitting .421 (8-19) with a double, triple, two home runs and a team-high 14 runs batted in - vaulting her into second place in the UAA in RBI. She hit safely in the first five of the six games and had four multi-RBI games in that span. The highlight of the week was the April 3 doubleheader against Lasell College, when she had 10 RBI in the two games, going 2-4 with a whopping seven RBI thanks to a 3-run triple and a grand slam in a 20-1 win. She added a three-run double in the nightcap. Her eight hits during the week made her the ninth player in school history with 150 for her career.
Overall this season, Brandeis is 14-8 under sixth-year head coach Jessica Johnson, headed into Wednesday afternoon's doubleheader against Wheaton College. The Judges have won nine straight games to reach their current mark of six games over .500.
Miller is a 2008 graduate of Harriton High School. She is the daughter of Phil and Cathy Miller, Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
Specker is a 2008 graduate of Westminster School. She is the daughter of Ken and Carol Specker, South Windsor, Conn.
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