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Mississippi College sophomore Penny Nichols has been named the Gulf South Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week, it was announced on Tuesday (Feb. 21).
Nichols (Orange City, Fla.) becomes the first Lady Choctaw to earn a GSC Softball weekly award in 23 years as Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Susan Musselwhite won the Pitcher of the Week award three times in the 1994 season. MC has just become eligible for conference awards since completing the transition back to the league and Division II prior to the 2016-17 academic year.
The sophomore went 3-0 on the week with a 1.00 ERA as the Lady Choctaws (8-6, 2-1 GSC) opened conference play with a road series win against West Florida, the team picked fourth in the league’s preseason poll. She tossed three complete games, totaling 12 strikeouts and allowing just three earned runs over 21.0 innings pitched.
Nichols opened the week with a 3-2 victory over Spring Hill, snapping a seven-game win streak for the Badgers. On Saturday, she helped MC rebound from a 13-4 loss to UWF, giving up just three hits and one run in a 4-1 win with five strikeouts and now walks in a complete game win against an offense that was hitting nearly .400 as a team. She then came back Sunday and pitched all seven innings in a 5-1 victory, allowing just the one unearned run to the Argos.
On the season, Nichols is now 4-2 with a 2.03 ERA, leading the Lady Choctaws in innings pitched (38.0), strikeouts (22) and opponents batting average (.267).
The Lady Choctaws will be back in action this weekend when they travel to Livingston for a three-game series with West Alabama, beginning with a doubleheader Saturday at noon.
