MOREHEAD, Ky. – Bolstered by her record-setting production in a three-game weekend sweep over Western Illinois, Morehead State softball freshman catcher/infielder
Nyla Doiron earned Ohio Valley Conference co-Player of the Week for the period of April 21-27. Doiron was chosen by the league's softball media relations coordinators and announced by the conference office on Monday.
She is sharing the honor with SIU Edwardsville's Kaylynn Salyars. UT Martin's Ashtyn Green was named the OVC Pitcher of the Week.
It was the first time this season an MSU softball player was recognized with one of the conference's weekly awards.
Watch Doiron discuss the weekend and winning the honor on MSU's YouTube channel.
Morehead State (8-38/6-17) is coming off its first OVC series sweep since Mar. 18-19, 2023. The Eagles won 10-6, 16-6 (5 innings) and 6-5. Seven players batted better than .300, with five above .400, sophomore infielder
Kendra Lewis at .500 and sophomore outfielder
Maddy Christopher at .636. As a team, MSU finished the weekend hitting .397.
A native of Zachary, La., Doiron finished the series with a .429 batting average (3-of-7), with two runs, three doubles, eight RBI, a .417 on-base percentage and an .857 slugging percentage. She also added one walk, one hit by pitch and three sacrifice flies, as well as a 1.000 fielding percentage in 13 chances; while playing first base, third base, catcher and designated player.
In game one's 10-6 win, Doiron was 1-for-3, with a double, a walk and a run. She really came to life in game two's 16-6 five-inning win, going 2-for-2, with two doubles, seven RBI and a run. In game three's 6-5 victory, she was 0-for-2, but had the game-winning RBI with a one-out sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to give the Eagles a series sweep.
In addition, she recorded the second-most RBI in a game (seven) in MSU history, moved into a tie atop the record books in sacrifice flies in a game (two), as well a tie for seventh on the single-season list (four). She sits alongside Jeanne Noble, who had two sacrifice flies in an Apr. 8, 1992, game against Wright State for the school record.
On the year, Doiron is fifth on the squad in batting average (.257), while topping the Blue and Gold with four sacrifice flies and five times being hit by a pitch. She also sits tied for the lead in doubles (10), fourth in RBI (26), and fifth in both slugging percentage (.394) and on-base percentage (.331). She has the fewest strikeouts among the regulars (11 in 109 at bats); and adds 11 runs, 28 hits, one triple, one home run and nine walks.
The Eagles' last OVC Player of the Week also was a co-winner, sophomore infielder
Sela Pickford, on April 1, 2024. Ironically, it also came on the heels of MSU's performance against Western Illinois.
It was a big weekend for the Blue and Gold, which needed to win all three outings to stay alive in the race for a spot in the OVC Tournament. It equaled the most home victories it has had in a season since 2018 and the best winning percentage there since 2017. MSU finished two of the three contests with double-digit hits, marking the 11th and 12th times this year the team has surpassed that mark, the highest total since 2016. It also reached at least seven hits for the 26th time this season, including the last six games and nine of the last 10. The Eagles' batting average also rose to .281, the best mark since 2013.
Morehead State completes its regular season on Saturday and Sunday with three games at Tennessee Tech. It is a must-win scenario for the Eagles to qualify for the OVC Tournament. At present, weather depending, game times are slated to be at 1 and 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday and 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
