Two Sac State softball players earned weekly awards on Tuesday for their heroic efforts last weekend in the Capital Classic.

Junior pitcher Marissa Bertuccio earned Big Sky Conference co-pitcher of the week and junior third baseman Lewa Day earned player of the week.

It was Bertuccio’s sixth time winning pitcher of the week in her collegiate career. She was dominant over the past weekend as she won four games with a 0.58 earned run average, striking out 29 batters and allowing just three runs with only two earned, all within 24 innings of work. 

This included a gutsy performance in the final win against UC Davis, where she won her second game of the day in relief. Bertuccio pitched three innings, striking out five batters and tagging out the potential go-ahead run at home plate in extra innings.

Bertuccio has been the ace for the Hornets all season long. She has seven wins, a 1.44 ERA, and holds batters to an average of .224. She has struck out 64 batters, with six complete games, two shutouts, and has allowed just 13 runs all season.  

Bertuccio stands in second place in the Big Sky Conference for wins, ERA, complete games, shutouts, and innings pitched. She sits in fourth place for strikeouts, walks allowed, and earned runs and is in fifth place for opponents batting average as well. 

“It felt really good, especially to win it with Lewa of course,” Bertuccio said. “I’m just ready for the next weekend, to attack that one. It definitely helps with your confidence a lot, but I still got to keep working and I know we’re not even in conference yet, so I still have a lot to do. I’m not settled, I’m still going to work, still going at it.”

Day got a great birthday gift as she received the news of being named player of the week. She proved to be a tough out over the weekend as she helped lead the Hornets to a 5-0 record in the Capital Classic which included two wins over the Aggies. To go along with the wins, Day had eight hits, two home runs, five runs batted in, and two doubles. 

Day’s biggest moment came against the Aggies on Sunday as she hit a walk-off single to drive in sophomore shortstop Kennedy Echols, leading the Hornets to a 3-2 victory. 

Day has been one of the best hitters on the Hornets this season as she has a batting average of .370 and has connected on 20 hits this season. She has smacked six home runs and shown off her discipline at the plate with ten walks as well.

“It just makes me want to go after it even harder, just basically attack everything on the field, at the plate, just be there with my team and do it all over again,” Day said.

Day is also in the top five for home runs and walks drawn, and sits in the top 10 for hits, RBIs, and batting average as well. 

“I was obviously proud of them, very deserving and they both had great weekends,” head coach Lori Perez said. “I was just happy they were both rewarded for their efforts because they both really came up big for us all weekend.”