The Big West softball conference play concluded last week with Long Beach State taking sole possession of the title, after a 2-1 series win over league foe Pacific. Collecting this week’s Big West Player of the Week, 49er, Sarah Carrasco helped seal the deal in the final game of the regular season. UC Santa Barbara finished the season with a series sweep, and third place in conference. Leading the Gauchos was this week’s Big West Pitcher of the Week, Shelby Wisdom who collected all three wins.
Carrasco Closes With A Bang
Carrasco led the 49ers in a must win contest against Pacific, with a two-out three-run homer for the sole rights to the Big West softball title. Despite not starting for Long Beach in the final game of the series, the sophomore catcher came out in the third inning with pitcher, Erin Jones-Wesley to finish the game.
The Lakewood, Calif. native went 2-2 in the final game of the regular season starting a rally in both the third and fourth inning for the 49ers. Carrasco collected three RBI of the four runs scored in a 4-2 victory over the Tigers.
Over the week Carrasco went 3-for-6 batting .500, with three runs scored, three RBI and a home run.
Others nominated: Brittany Keeney (UC Riverside), Shelby Wisdom (UC Santa Barbara)
Wisdom’s Supreme Sweep
Wisdom opened the weekend with her first career no-no followed by a shutout against Cal State Northridge in the doubleheader to start the series last week. It was the freshman’s second shutout of the day and third straight shutout.
With the title still in reach going into Sunday, Wisdom led the Gauchos in supreme fashion pitching her third complete game, for a total 21 innings last week, allowing only eight hits and one earned run.
On the weekend she tallied 20 strikeouts to set a new school record for single-season strikeouts in Gaucho history with a total 247, and holds the single-season win record with 24 in her freshman stint.
Others nominated: Casey Suda (Cal State Fullerton), Erin Jones-Wesley (Long Beach State), Justine Vela (UC Davis)