WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University's Christie Bott (Seaford, N.Y.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Softball Player of the Week for the week of March 9-15, it was announced today by the league.
Bott earns the award for the second time in her career after being selected for the week of March 4-10, 2019.
The junior enjoyed a tremendous week for the Sharks, hitting .591 (13-22), while knocking in 14 runs and scoring three times in eight games. The catcher racked up seven extra-base hits, including a pair of home runs, four doubles and a triple to contribute to a robust 1.136 slugging percentage. Bott worked four walks as well to factor into a .586 on-base percentage and did not strike out in 29 plate appearances. She was also flawless behind the plate, handling 17 chances without an error. Bott hit safely in the first seven game of the week and drove in at least one run in seven of eight games, including four contests with multiple runs batted in. The Exercise Science major began the week by going 3-3 with a double and an RBI to go with a run scored in the team's 3-1 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan University on March 9. She drove in another run with a 1-4 effort vs. Gordon College the same day. Bott collected multiple hits in both games on March 11, finishing a home run short of the cycle with a single, double and triple in three at-bats to go with an intentional walk and four RBI in the Sharks 4-1 win over Plymouth State University. Her offensive prowess continued vs. Delaware Valley University with her going 2-3 with a homer and a double to fuel a three-RBI effort in addition to scoring a run and drawing a base on balls. Bott continued to swing a hot bat the following day, going 2-4 with a double vs. Bates College on March 12 and then 1-3 with a run scored and mammoth home run over the center field fence that proved to be the first run allowed by the Carroll University (13-1) starting pitcher, who had not allowed a run in 39 1/3 innings up to that point. The St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School product capped the week by contributing to a pair of wins for Simmons. She was 1-2 with a pair of runs batted in during a 3-1 win over Montclair State University and came back to knock in two more runs with two sacrifice flies to go with a pair of walks in the Sharks' 8-7 walk-off victory over Bridgewater State University.
For the season, Bott has established herself as one of the most feared sluggers in the nation, owning a 1.138 slugging percentage to lead the GNAC and rank ninth among NCAA Division III leaders. Her 18 runs batted in also leads the league circuit, while placing her 14th in the nation. Bott leads the nation with three sacrifice flies and ranks within the top-nine in the conference in hits (first-16), RBI (first), home runs (first-3), sacrifice flies (first), slugging percentage (first), doubles (second-5), batting average (second-.552), on-base percentage (fourth-.568), walks (fourth-5), triples (fifth-1) and runs scored (ninth-8). She has handled 19 chances in the field without an error and has had only one base-runner attempt to steal with her behind the plate.
For her career, Bott was named a Second Team All-Conference selection as a sophomore. She has played in 45 games and knocked in 44 runs to go with a .399 (55-138) batting average. Bott has 18 doubles, four home runs and a pair of triples as part of a .645 slugging percentage, while maintaining a lifetime .463 on-base average. She also has 39 runs scored and has stuck out just eight times in 165 plate appearances for an impressive rate of one strikeout per 20.6 plate appearances.
Simmons owns an 8-2 record for the best start in school history and has won its last two games.