Ashner, Gutierrez Claim ACCAC Weekly Softball Honors

Sophomores Ali Ashner and Vanessa Gutierrez received Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week honors, respectively, for their outstanding performances in competition against Arizona Western College and Gateway Community College.

Ashner, a transfer from UArizona, batted .750 (9 of 12) with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBIs in the four games. In 10 games this season, Ashner sports a .581 batting average, five doubles, two triples, three home runs, 13 RBIs and four stolen bases.

Against Arizona Western, Ashner hit a solo home run in the team's 2-1 loss. She then added two hits, including a double, in the second contest. She went 5 for 6 with five RBIs, four runs, three stolen bases and a home run, double and triple in a doubleheader sweep of Gateway CC on Feb. 15.

In the contests against Arizona Western and Gateway CC, Gutierrez owned a 1.52 ERA to with 17 strikeouts in 10.2 innings of work.

In the second game against the Geckos, Gutierrez recorded the win for SMCC, tossing 3.1 innings of relief work. She had five strikeouts and allowed two hits. Although she was the losing pitcher in both games against the Matadors, she allowed only three earned runs in more than seven innings of work.

For the season, Gutierrez is 3-4 with a 3.05 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 36.2 innings of work. She also owns a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 12 chances and has helped turn two double plays.