Burns Claims Third Pitcher of the Week Honor
3/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
CLEVELAND, Ohio-
Kent State senior Gabrielle Burns (Wellsville, Ohio/Wellsville) was named Mid-American Conference East Division Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season Tuesday (March 25) by the conference office. A Golden Flash hurler has now garnered Pitcher of the Week honors following all five weeks of KSU's competition.
In four appearances during the Georgia Softball Spring Fling, Burns earned two victories and a save. She struck out 22 batters in 20 innings and carried an ERA of 0.70. Burns allowed two runs in her first inning of the weekend and went on to go 19 straight frames without allowing an earned run.
The right-hander tossed a two-hit, seven-inning shutout vs. Albany on Sunday and did not allow an earned run in 5.0 innings vs. No. 15 Georgia on Saturday. Burns also struck four in two innings of relief against Albany Saturday, without allowing a hit. On Friday, she allowed two runs in the first inning against the Great Danes, but went the next five scoreless without permitting a run.
Burns (7-3) carries the lowest ERA (0.73) on the team in 67.0 innings pitched. She has already set a career-high for strikeouts in a season with 86. In her last eight appearances, she is 6-1 with a save. Her only setback during that time came against the 15th ranked Bulldogs.
Earlier this season, Burns captured her first two Pitcher of the Week awards on Feb. 19 following the Strike Out Cancer Tournament and Feb. 26 following the First Pitch Classic.
