Spartan Softball Has Record Setting Day

AURORA, Ill. April 17, 2009 - Aurora University Spartan Softball junior pitcher Anna Snyder (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake H.S.) and Head Coach Mike McKenzie both reached career milestones in AU’s doubleheader sweep at Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) rival Benedictine University Friday afternoon in Lisle, IL.

In the Spartans 4-1 game one victory, Snyder struck out 11 Eagles to improve her season record to 13-2 and move the Spartans record to 21-3 overall and 14-0 in the NAC. With her ninth strikeout of the game leading off the top of the sixth inning against Eagle third baseman Steff Rybarczyk, Snyder surpassed former Spartan pitcher Taylor Peterson for the AU career strikeout record with 451 on her career. Snyder would finish the day with 453 career strikeouts. Overall on the season, Snyder is 14-2 with a 0.96 era, 149 strikeouts, 10 complete games, three shutouts and only 51 hits allowed in 93-2/3 innings.

The Spartan game one win gave Head Coach Mike McKenzie his 200th victory in his sixth season as the AU softball coach. After the sweep of Benedictine, he has a .808 winning percentage (201-47-2) and has captured four consecutive Coach of the Year award, back-to-back in the NAC and the previous two came in the former Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference (NIIC). Additionally, he has led the Spartans to their five straight conference championships, two in the NAC and the other three in the NIIC. In his five seasons previous to this season, McKenzie has led the Spartans to three NCAA Division III regional appearances in 2005, 2006 and 2008.

In game one, the Spartans were led by Snyder’s performance in the circle and the offense was led junior catcher Briana Martin (two for four with a double), freshman designated hitter Maggie Cooper (two for four with two runs batted in) and junior outfielder Karisa Hansen (two for three with one run batted in and one run scored).

The Spartans won game two of the doubleheader 7-2 as freshman pitcher Lindsay Decker improved her record to 7-0, pitching five and one-third innings, allowing one run and striking out two. The Spartan offense was led by Martin (two for three with a double, two runs scored and one run batted in), sophomore third baseman Jessica Scott (two for three with a double and three runs batted in), senior outfielder Nikki Veen (two for four with a double and one run batted in) and sophomore shortstop Kayla Westemeier (two for four with a double, one run scored and one run batted in).

The Spartans are now 22-3 overall and 15-0 in the Northern Athletics Conference. The Spartan softball team is in action next on Saturday, April 18, 2009, when they travel to Dominican University. Game time is set for noon in River Forest, IL.

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