WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons College's Lauren Del Vacchio (Murrieta, Calif.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Softball Player of the Week for the week of April 2-8, it was announced today by the league.
Del Vacchio becomes the first Shark to earn top player of the week accolade since Emily Cunningham was tabbed for the week of April 3-9, 2012.
The middle infielder reached base 11 times in four games and hit a white hot .750 (9-12) with a pair of walks to post an eye-popping .786 on-base percentage, while cracking three doubles for a 1.000 slugging percentage to give her a 1.786 OPS. The sophomore knocked in three runs and scored nine runs to average 2.25 runs scored per game for the week. She also stole five bases in as many attempts and did not strike out in 14 plate appearances. The Vista Murrieta High School product collected multiple hits in all four contests and scored two or more runs in three of the four games. Del Vacchio began the week by going 4-6 with a double, a walk, two stolen bases and three runs scored to go with a run batted in to help Simmons to a sweep of Regis (Mass.) on April 7. The second base returned the next day to go 5-6 with two doubles, a walk, three stolen bases, two RBI and scored six runs in another double-header sweep with the Sharks taking two from Saint Joseph's College (Maine).
The West Coast native has been among the league leaders all season, ranking among the top eight in 10 categories, while leading the conference with 25 runs scored and nine doubles. Del Vacchio also stands eighth in batting average (.452/28-62), third in walks (11) and total bases (43), fourth in hits (28), fifth in slugging percentage (.694) and on-base percentage (.539) and sixth with eight stolen bases and two home runs. She leads the Sharks in all of those categories and also tops the team with nine multiple hit outings, including four three-hit efforts and has reached base via a hit, walk or being hit by a pitch in 19 of the 22 games she has played. The infielder has struck out just five times in 76 plate appearances for a rate of once every 15.2 plate appearances. She currently owns an eight-game hitting streak and his hitting .583 (14-24) during the stretch with four doubles, a homer, eight RBI and 12 runs scored since March 30.
For her career, the leadoff hitter has started all 61 games she's appeared in, while hitting .388 (69-178) with 46 runs scored, 18 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 26 RBI, 27 walks and 13 stolen bases. A Communications major at Simmons, Del Vacchio was named to the GNAC All-Conference Third Team last year as a rookie.
The Sharks have won five straight and nine of their last 10 for their most successful 10-game stretch since 2014. Simmons stands at 12-10 overall, including 6-4 in GNAC play. The Sharks will be in action again tomorrow night when they host Norwich University for a conference twinbill at Daly Field at 5:00 p.m.