Newport News, Va. – Senior catcher
Kylie Michael has been named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday afternoon. Michael led the Rams to five straight conference wins this past week at St. Bonaventure and over Saint Louis at home. It is the first career accolade for Michael, the second Ram to earn her first honor after
Jordy Storm earlier this season.
"We're so happy for Kylie for an incredible week at the plate, especially after coming back from an injury that sidelined her for about a month," Head coach
Melissa Inouye said, "She's been swinging at good pitches, having good quality at-bats, and that's a credit to her trusting the process and her swing."
The senior backstop returned from an injury lay-off with the best week of her career, pacing the Rams offense with a .688/.722/1.375 triple slash line, three home runs, and 12 runs batted in. The senior went 11-for-16 at the dish with at least one hit in every game, four multi-hit performances, and five total extra-base hits, also scoring four times and walking twice.
In game one at St. Bonaventure, Michael went 1-for-3 with an RBI single but upped her game with a 2-for-3 showing in game two with her first career home run, a two-run shot, and an RBI single, plus a walk. In the series opener against the Billikens, Michael led the way by going 3-for-4 with a trio of singles and then went 2-for-2 with a bases-clearing double, providing the go-ahead run, a solo home run, and a walk. In the series finale, Michael again went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run to put the Rams up 8-0, which would've been a run-rule win had Saint Louis not rallied in the fifth, and a two-run double for what proved to be the go-ahead run in the sixth.
Michael is now slashing .295/.411/.475 overall this season over 28 appearances with more walks (12) than strikeouts (8). Over 10 conference contests, she is leading the team with a .522/.607/1.000 slash line.
The Rams are back in nonconference action on Wednesday when they host Hofstra at 3 p.m.
