WWU’s Carlie Richards named GNAC Softball Player of the Week

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University junior Carlie Richards has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Softball Player of the Week for April 3-9, announced Monday from the conference office in Portland, Ore.
Richards (Kennewick, WA/Kamiakin) batted .583 (7-for-12) with 3 runs scored, 1 double, 2 home runs and 5 RBI leading the Vikings to GNAC doubleheader splits on the road at Saint Martin’s and Central Washington. She was a key figure in both wins, going 3-for-4 with her first career home run in the 9-8 win over SMU and was also 3-for-4 with a home run in the 9-0 win at Central. Her twin sister, Cylie, also hit her first career home run over the weekend in the second game vs. Saint Martin’s.
For the season, Richards is WWU’s second leading hitter at .407 (22-for-54). She has appeared in 21 games, making 19 starts in right field (10 G) and catcher (9 G). In 9 GNAC games she is batting .462 (12-for-26) with 8 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs and 6 RBI.
The GNAC Player of the Week award is the first in Richards’ career. She becomes the third Viking to earn the award this season, joining Emily Benson (Feb. 6-12) and Anna Kasner (Jan. 30-Feb. 5 & Feb. 27-March 5).
The Vikings are 18-15 overall and tied for 4th in the conference with a 7-7 record. The team returns to action this Thursday with a doubleheader at Simon Fraser on Thursday starting at 5 pm in Burnaby. WWU will then host three consecutive doubleheaders at Viking Field April 21-23 vs. Western Oregon (Friday and Saturday) and Concordia (Sunday).