Allison Apke Named MVC Player of Week

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Published on April 17 2018 6:18 am
Last Updated on April 17 2018 6:25 am
Written by Millie Lange

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- For the second consecutive week Bradley Softball has had the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, with sophomore infielder Allison Apke taking home the honors this week according to an announcement by the league office Monday afternoon.

Apke, a Teutopolis High School graduate, hit a blistering .625 (5-for-8) in three contests last week with two doubles, two runs and two RBI.   She reached base in eight of 11 plate appearances for a .727 on base percentage to go along with a .875 slugging percentage.

In Wednesday’s one-run loss to SIU Edwardsville, she doubled home a run in the first inning to tie the game and was walked in two of her last three times at the plate to finish the day 1-for-2.

Apke collected hits in her first three at bats of the series opener at Missouri State, doubling in a run in the first to give Bradley an early lead and followed it up with singles in each of her next two at bats.  She drew a seventh inning walk to help start a three-run BU rally and cap a 3-for-3 outing.  Apke, who owns a career-best nine-game hit streak, added a single in the nightcap at Missouri State in a 1-for-3 effort.

The MVC Player of the Week selection was the first career honor for Apke and comes a week after freshman Stacia Seeton swept Valley Player and Newcomer of the Week honors.

Apke leads the Valley with a .792 slugging percentage and is tied with Valparaiso’s Jaymee Lawton with 10 home runs for the most in the league.  The second player in program history to collect nine doubles, 10 homers and 20 or more walks in a season, she is second in the MVC with 36 RBI and her team-best .385 batting average is fourth in the conference.

Apke and the Braves open a five-game home stand Wednesday with a 3:30 p.m. doubleheader against I-74 rival Illinois State at Petersen Hotels Field at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

 

Illinois State vs. Bradley

Illinois State is set to host its annual Pack the Park game Tuesday, April 24 versus conference foe Bradley. First pitch between the Redbirds and the Braves is slated for 5 p.m. As always, admission is free to all regular season home contests at Marian Kneer Stadium.

Teutopolis graduates will square off against each other as Allison Apke plays for Bradley while Anni and Kadi Borries  are on the Illinois State roster.

In order to help Redbird Softball break the attendance record, the first 120 students will receive a ticket to cash in for Reggie Redbird socks at the fifth-inning stretch. Hot dogs will be on sale at the concession stand for $1, courtesy of Sodexo, and Alamo II will be on-site selling the latest Redbird apparel.

The Redbirds will travel to Bradley Wednesday, April 18, for a doubleheader before returning home this weekend to host league-leading Drake in a three-game series.