Sophomores Lilly James, Meghan McCans earn NCAC Softball weekly honors

| NCAC Players of the Week – Feb. 27 |

SPRINGFIELD — Wittenberg sophomores Lilly James (Troy, Ohio/Troy) and Meghan McCans (Arcanum, Ohio/Arcanum) earned North Coast Athletic Conference weekly honors in softball for the week of Feb. 19-25.

James was named NCAC Pitcher of the Week, and McCans earned the conference's Player of the Week accolade.

This marks the first such honor for each student-athlete in their careers.

James was recognized after posting a 2-1 record with eight strikeouts in Wittenberg's season-opening four-game set in the Maryville Classic in Maryville, Tenn., on Saturday and Sunday.

She posted a 2-0 record on Saturday, earning victories as a relief pitcher in a 5-4 win over Emory and an 11-9 triumph over Maryville. Against Emory, she pitched 3.2 scoreless innings and allowed no hits and just one walk while striking out two. In the second game of the day, against Maryville, she pitched four innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out five.

James pitched 2.1 relief innings in a 4-3 loss to Maryville on Sunday, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits and no walks while striking out one.

She finished the week with a 1.40 ERA and eight strikeouts over 10 innings.

Offensively, McCans batted .643 over the four games, tallying nine hits in 14 at-bats with two RBIs, six runs scored and four stolen bases. 

On Saturday, she was 3-for-4 with one run and two steals against Emory and was 3-for-4 with three runs, one walk and one steal against Maryville. 

On Sunday, she was 2-for-3 with an RBI, a run and a steal in a 10-2 loss to Emory and was 1-for-3 with an RBI, run and walk against Maryville.

The Tigers return to action on Sunday with a doubleheader against Heidelberg at 11:30 a.m. and Penn St.-Behrend at 1:30 p.m. as they begin their 10-game schedule at The Spring Games in Florida.