Sunday Dispatch
Misericordia University junior Alexa McHugh was named Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Pitcher of the Year Tuesday following one of the best seasons in school history.
The Pittston Area graduate posted an 0.76 earned run average, third-lowest ever at Misericordia for one season. McHugh went 14-1 with 114 strikeouts in 92 innings. She allowed just 12 walks and held opposing hitters to a .175 batting average.
McHugh was even more effective in MAC Freedom play with an 8-0 record and 0.61 average.
Along with her pitching prowess, McHugh put together the team’s longest hitting streak at 18 games and finished with a .333 batting average.
Misericordia went 27-9 overall and finished first in the MAC Freedom regular season at 15-1, but was upset in its first game of the MAC Freedom’s single-elimination playoffs.
At the time of the 5-2, nine-inning loss to Stevens, the playoffs were double-elimination, but weather factors forced a mid-tournament change and the Cougars had their season end.
McHugh was the only Misericordia player with two hits in the loss. She also scored a run.
In her seven innings as pitcher, McHugh held Stevens to two runs (one earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out four.
Kaitlyn Slusser, a freshman shortstop from Wyoming Area, scored the run in the bottom of the seventh inning to allow Misericordia to send the game into extra innings.
In 10 games, including one start, Slusser was 3-for-10 (.300) with four runs and two RBI.
