Spartans Named NIIC Players of the Week

AURORA, Ill. April 19, 2005 - For the second time this season, Aurora University student athletes have received the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference (NIIC) baseball and softball conference player of the week awards. AU softball player Taylor Petersen (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora HS) was named NIIC Softball Player of the Week, her fourth time receiving the award, and Aurora University baseball player Aaron Thor (Rockford, Ill./Guilford HS) was named NIIC Baseball Player of the Week for the week ending April 17, 2005.

Petersen led the AU softball team to a 4-2 record on the week and improved the Spartans to 23-4-1 on the season. Petersen improved her record to 15-0 overall, going 3-0 on the week with wins over CCIW foes Carthage College and Wheaton College. In 21 innings pitched on the week, she struck out 25, walked two, and allowed just 11 hits. At the plate, Petersen hit .524 with four doubles and five RBI. Currently on the year, Petersen has a 0.29 earned run average and 148 strikeouts in 95.1 innings pitched. Offensively, she is hitting .435 with three home runs, 28 runs scored, and 17 runs batted in.

Thor helped lead the AU Spartan baseball team to a 5-0 record with the offense scoring 78 runs with wins over Benedictine University (19-6), Coe College (14-2), and Dominican University (13-5, 8-5, 24-15). Thor sparked the Spartans’ offense by batting .579 (11 of 19) with a 1.158 slugging percentage, two home runs, five doubles, 13 runs batted in, and eight runs scored. In the 24-15 win over NIIC opponent Dominican, Thor went four for four with two doubles, two home runs, four runs scored, three runs batted in, and reached base in his fifth plate appearance of the day (hit by pitch). Currently, Thor is hitting .372 with 29 runs scored, 13 doubles, 30 runs batted in, and is five of six in stolen bases.

Next action for the Spartan softball team comes on Tuesday, April 19, when they travel to the University of Chicago in a non-conference double header beginning at 3:00 p.m. and again on Wednesday, April 20, when they host Concordia University (Ill.) in an NIIC double header beginning at 3:00 p.m.

The Spartan baseball team is in action next on Thursday, April 21, when they take on Benedictine University in a Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference contest at Oswego High School. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. with Benedictine being the home team.

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