PacWest Conference Weekly Awards (May 10)

IRVINE, Calif. – After once again contributing to a winning seven-day stretch for Academy of Art softball, the tandem of graduate student infielder Chelsea Sligh and freshman infielder Haley Randall were named Pacific West Conference Player and Freshman of the Week respectively in the final weekly awards of the 2021 season. The awards are for games played from May 3-9.

Sligh opened the series with a 3-for-3 effort in game one on May 6, doubling and later scoring during the Urban Knights' five-run fifth inning which ended up being the contest's turning point. She was the first to get ART U on the scoreboard in second game, registering her first run batted in of the series with a single in the opening inning as part of a 1-for-3 effort. Then, after being recognized in a pre-game ceremony on Senior Day, Sligh turned in her fifth three-hit performance of the year in the series finale. The Industrial Design major started with a run-scoring double in the first then blasted a two-run homer in her second at-bat in the third. She finished a triple shy of the cycle after singling in the fourth prior to her team's 8-0 victory in five innings.

For the week, Sligh batted .583 (7-for-12) with four RBIs, one homer, two doubles, and three runs scored. She wrapped up the regular season ranked seventh in the PacWest in both batting average (.382) and slugging percentage (.566) as well as ninth in home runs (3) and 10th in runs scored (17).

Randall was immediately productive in her first at-bat of the series on May 6, singling home Academy of Art's first run during a three-run first inning. She later scored in that same inning and finished 1-for-5. Game two saw the Art Education major single to start once again then add another for a 2-for-3 performance, her sixth multi-hit effort of the year. Randall made it a six-game hit streak with a single as part of her 1-for-3 opening contest on May 7. Though she did not record a hit in three at-bats of the series finale, the Walnut Creek native still drove in a run and later scored in the game.

In the series, Randall hit .285 (4-for-14) with two RBIs and two runs scored. She concluded the regular season ranked first in the PacWest in home runs (5), fourth in runs batted in (26), fifth in slugging percentage (.641), and sixth in batting average (.385).

This is the first PacWest weekly award for Sligh this season and the third for Randall after she was honored on Mar. 29 and Apr. 12.