Hot Leadoff Hitter Ridenour Garners Softball AAC Player of the Week

April 21, 2008

Wise, Va. – UVa-Wise’s hot hitting leadoff hitter Maddi Ridenour garnered her third Appalachian Athletic Conference softball Player of the Week honor. The freshman centerfielder lined 14 hits in 21 at bats to hit .667 to help the Lady Cavs post a perfect 6-0 mark last week including sweep two conference foes.

The Suffolk, Va. native produced four multi-hit efforts in the six victories for the AAC leading UVa-Wise (24-14) squad. In her 14 of 21 week, she scored nine runs, lined four doubles, laced three triples, drove in eight runs and stole five bases. The slap hitter finished the week with a 1.143 slugging percentage and three walks.

Ridenour started the week with a six for eight twinbill at King College with a double. She added a five for seven doubleheader at Emory & Henry including a four for four day in the second contest and doubled in each game. Rounding out the week, the first-year player had three hits in six at bats with two rbi triples and three stolen bases in a sweep of AAC foe Covenant College.

The outfielder leads the AAC in four offensive categories. She is tops in average at .460 (58 of 126), 65 points better than her teammate Shelley Newton’s .395 who is second. Ridenour also leads the league in hits (1.53/gm.), 44 runs (1.16/gm) and five triples (0.13/gm). She is also second in stolen bases (31) and fourth in slugging percentage (.619).

The Lady Cavs round out their home schedule with a final doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon starting at 4:00 p.m. against the University of the Cumberlands Patriots.