Eastern Michigan Athletics
Akles Tabbed MAC West Player of the Week
4/10/2018 10:37:00 AM | Softball
The junior third baseman is the first Eagle to pick up the league honor this season
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) - Junior Amanda Akles (La Habra, Calif.-La Habra) of the Eastern Michigan University softball team has been named the Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week for her superlative performance at the plate against Toledo and Miami, the league announced Tuesday, April 10. The award marks the second time Akles has been honored in her career, and the first time this season an Eagle has been given the weekly honor.
Akles fueled the Eagles to a 2-2 record for the week and the program's first conference series win since 2016. Finishing the week 6-of-8 at the dish, the La Habra, Calif. product boasted a batting average of .750 for the period along with an impressive 2.250 slugging percentage. Akles produced four home runs, five runs, six hits, six RBIs, and 18 total bases throughout the four-game span. The junior was a nightmare for the Miami pitching staff as they intentionally walked her five times throughout the three-game series.
The junior's best game of the week came in the first game of the Miami series, April 6. In a come-from-behind victory on Friday, Akles pounded out a pair of two-run home runs, including the walk-off in the seventh inning to seal the 6-4 victory for the Green and White, and Eastern's first win over the RedHawks since 2014. Akles became the first Eagle to hit a walk-off homer since 2015 and two dingers in a game since 2017.
The La Habra, Calif. native continued to be a threat at the plate for the remainder of the series as she laced together two more homers as EMU split Saturday's doubleheader. With her four round-trippers in the Miami series, Akles has tripled her home run count for the season, as she currently paces the Green and White with six, while also moving up in record book. Akles is currently sixth in EMU's laurels with 20 career home runs, and is also the first Eagle in program history to smack two home runs in a single game three times in their career.
Akles and the Green and White return to the diamond today, April 10. Eastern takes the trip to Ann Arbor, Mich. to take on the University of Michigan. First pitch at Wilpon Softball Complex is slated for 4 p.m.
Akles fueled the Eagles to a 2-2 record for the week and the program's first conference series win since 2016. Finishing the week 6-of-8 at the dish, the La Habra, Calif. product boasted a batting average of .750 for the period along with an impressive 2.250 slugging percentage. Akles produced four home runs, five runs, six hits, six RBIs, and 18 total bases throughout the four-game span. The junior was a nightmare for the Miami pitching staff as they intentionally walked her five times throughout the three-game series.
The junior's best game of the week came in the first game of the Miami series, April 6. In a come-from-behind victory on Friday, Akles pounded out a pair of two-run home runs, including the walk-off in the seventh inning to seal the 6-4 victory for the Green and White, and Eastern's first win over the RedHawks since 2014. Akles became the first Eagle to hit a walk-off homer since 2015 and two dingers in a game since 2017.
The La Habra, Calif. native continued to be a threat at the plate for the remainder of the series as she laced together two more homers as EMU split Saturday's doubleheader. With her four round-trippers in the Miami series, Akles has tripled her home run count for the season, as she currently paces the Green and White with six, while also moving up in record book. Akles is currently sixth in EMU's laurels with 20 career home runs, and is also the first Eagle in program history to smack two home runs in a single game three times in their career.
Akles and the Green and White return to the diamond today, April 10. Eastern takes the trip to Ann Arbor, Mich. to take on the University of Michigan. First pitch at Wilpon Softball Complex is slated for 4 p.m.
Players Mentioned
3B
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