Softball

CHEEK, KWAKERNAAK SWEEP WEEKLY AWARDS

CHEEK, KWAKERNAAK SWEEP WEEKLY AWARDS
Posted: May 10, 2023

Ottumwa, IA – After sweeping through the 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 11 playoffs, the Indian Hills Softball team picked up a pair of weekly accolades. Sophomore Ryann Cheek (Eldridge, IA/North Scott) and freshman Julia Kwakernaak (The Hague, Netherlands/Segbroek College) took home the weekly Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Pitcher and Player of the Week awards, respectively.

The Warriors captured their eighth consecutive NJCAA Region 11 title after going 4-0 in the four-team tournament. Behind the stellar pitching of Cheek and the offensive production of Kwakernaak, Indian Hills earned an automatic berth into the upcoming NJCAA Midwest District Championship in Neosho, MO.

Cheek landed her second ICCAC Pitcher of the Week honor this year and fourth of her career after going 2-0 in the circle in the postseason. In a shutout of Southwestern Community College on Wednesday, Cheek went four innings with just two hits and zero runs allowed. Cheek followed up in the championship-clinching game on Sunday vs. Southeastern Community College with a complete game victory, scattering four hits with just one earned run allowed. The sophomore did not issue a walk in either contest.

Cheek has been solid down the stretch for the Warriors. The southpaw, who sports an 11-2 record on the year, has allowed just three earned runs over her last 42.2 innings of work and has not lost a game for the Warriors since March 20.

Offensively, Kwakernaak continued to power the Warrior offense. The freshman designated player batted .750 (9-12) over the course of the four postseason games. In the opening round doubleheader vs. Southwestern, Kwakernaak went 6-7, including two home runs in the opening game, while finishing the series with four RBI and six runs scored. Kwakernaak added three more hits in the championship series vs. Southeastern.

The freshman is currently riding a 14-game hitting streak and leads the Warriors with a .489 batting average on the year.

Indian Hills will take on Crowder College (MO), winners of the NJCAA Region 16 Tournament for a chance to earn an automatic berth to the upcoming NJCAA DI Softball National Championship. The Warriors and Roughriders will meet in a best-of-three series, set to open Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM.