March 23, 2015
SUNYAC honors athletes for the week ending March 22
CORTLAND, N.Y. - The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) honors eight spring athletes from three institutions as athletes of the week for performances during the week of March 16-22.
BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Connor Griffin (JR)
Cortland, Second Base (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland)
Griffin stepped in as the starter at second base after an injury to another player and helped Cortland sweep a three-game SUNYAC series versus New Paltz in Port Charlotte, Fla. In the three games he went a combined 6-for-11 with a double, walk, hit-by-pitch, sac fly, three runs and seven RBI. He was 3-for-3 with a walk and double in a 6-1 victory and drove in three runs each during the other two wins (16-2 and 9-2). Griffin also came off the bench earlier in the week and went 1-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch and RBI in a win over Eastern Connecticut State. Griffin finished the week with a .538 batting average (7-for-13), eight RBI, three runs, a walk and two hit-by-pitches, and he handled 12 fielding chances without an error.
BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Brandon McClain (SR)
Cortland (Coram, N.Y./Longwood)
McClain allowed two hits and one unearned run in six innings of work in a 6-1 victory versus New Paltz in a seven-inning game in Port Charlotte, Fla. He struck out six batters and walked only one to improve to 2-0 on the season.
SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jamie Bucci (JR) Â
Cortland, OF (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow)
Bucci batted .478 (11-for-23) with five walks, 10 runs, four RBI and three stolen bases during a 6-2 week for the Red Dragons in Winter Haven, Fla. She went 3-for-4 with three runs, an RBI and a steal in a 5-0 win over Centenary and was 2-for-3 in wins against both Eastern Connecticut State (9-1) and St. Norbert (10-2). Bucci also drove in two runs and scored twice in an 8-0 win over Skidmore and had two hits in a 3-2 extra-inning win over Springfield. Bucci added had putouts with no errors in the field.
SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK - Sarah Salamone (SR) Â
Cortland (Liverpool, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse)
Salamone went 2-0 with a 0.43 ERA in four appearances, three as a starter, during the week in Winter Haven, Fla. She allowed only 12 hits, three walks and one earned run and struck out 12 batters in 16 and a third innings in the circle. Salamone tossed a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and one walk in a 5-0 win over Centenary. She also defeated Eastern Connecticut State in a 9-1, six-inning game with six hits and one walk allowed in five innings. She gave up one unearned run and struck out one.
MEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK –  Ed Doherty (JR) Â
Potsdam, Attackman (Amherst/Amherst)
Doherty totaled nine points on seven goals and two assists in a 2-0 week for the Bears. The junior had three goals and two assists in Potsdam's 14-3 rout at Castleton on Thursday for the Bears first win of the season. He then had four more goals in Potsdam's 11-7 victory over Kean at Cortland on Saturday. Doherty also had six groundballs and just one turnover in the two games.
MEN'S LACROSSE GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Pete Gropp (JR) Â
Potsdam (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport, N.Y.)
Gropp earned his first two career wins in a 2-0 week for Potsdam. He had a 4.50 goals-against-average and a .710 save percentage. In his first collegiate start against Castleton on Tuesday, Gropp made 13 saves in Potsdam's 14-3 rout of the Spartans. He then finished the week with nine saves in a 11-7 win over Kean.
WOMEN'S LACROSSE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Katie Kleine (SR)
Fredonia, Midfielder (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia)
Kleine was Fredonia's top playmaker during a 3-0 week. She had 14 assists in the three games, including seven in a 16-5 win over St. Lawrence. She also had five goals in that game; her 12 total points is the second-best game in program history, one short of her 13 points in a 2013 game vs. New Paltz. In the process, she became Fredonia's all-time assist leader. She has 101 in her career, 10 more than the previous record-holder.
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WOMEN'S LACROSSE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Nicole Burrows (FR)
Fredonia, Goalkeeper (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker)
Burrows had three straight games of 11 saves as Fredonia improved to 5-1 with three wins during the week. In the process, she lowered her goals-against average to 7.50 and her save percentage to .516.Â
BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Connor Griffin (JR)
Cortland, Second Base (Cortland, N.Y./Cortland)
Griffin stepped in as the starter at second base after an injury to another player and helped Cortland sweep a three-game SUNYAC series versus New Paltz in Port Charlotte, Fla. In the three games he went a combined 6-for-11 with a double, walk, hit-by-pitch, sac fly, three runs and seven RBI. He was 3-for-3 with a walk and double in a 6-1 victory and drove in three runs each during the other two wins (16-2 and 9-2). Griffin also came off the bench earlier in the week and went 1-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch and RBI in a win over Eastern Connecticut State. Griffin finished the week with a .538 batting average (7-for-13), eight RBI, three runs, a walk and two hit-by-pitches, and he handled 12 fielding chances without an error.
BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK – Brandon McClain (SR)
Cortland (Coram, N.Y./Longwood)
McClain allowed two hits and one unearned run in six innings of work in a 6-1 victory versus New Paltz in a seven-inning game in Port Charlotte, Fla. He struck out six batters and walked only one to improve to 2-0 on the season.
SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Jamie Bucci (JR) Â
Cortland, OF (Tarrytown, N.Y./Sleepy Hollow)
Bucci batted .478 (11-for-23) with five walks, 10 runs, four RBI and three stolen bases during a 6-2 week for the Red Dragons in Winter Haven, Fla. She went 3-for-4 with three runs, an RBI and a steal in a 5-0 win over Centenary and was 2-for-3 in wins against both Eastern Connecticut State (9-1) and St. Norbert (10-2). Bucci also drove in two runs and scored twice in an 8-0 win over Skidmore and had two hits in a 3-2 extra-inning win over Springfield. Bucci added had putouts with no errors in the field.
SOFTBALL PITCHER OF THE WEEK - Sarah Salamone (SR) Â
Cortland (Liverpool, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse)
Salamone went 2-0 with a 0.43 ERA in four appearances, three as a starter, during the week in Winter Haven, Fla. She allowed only 12 hits, three walks and one earned run and struck out 12 batters in 16 and a third innings in the circle. Salamone tossed a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and one walk in a 5-0 win over Centenary. She also defeated Eastern Connecticut State in a 9-1, six-inning game with six hits and one walk allowed in five innings. She gave up one unearned run and struck out one.
MEN'S LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE WEEK –  Ed Doherty (JR) Â
Potsdam, Attackman (Amherst/Amherst)
Doherty totaled nine points on seven goals and two assists in a 2-0 week for the Bears. The junior had three goals and two assists in Potsdam's 14-3 rout at Castleton on Thursday for the Bears first win of the season. He then had four more goals in Potsdam's 11-7 victory over Kean at Cortland on Saturday. Doherty also had six groundballs and just one turnover in the two games.
MEN'S LACROSSE GOALIE OF THE WEEK – Pete Gropp (JR) Â
Potsdam (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport, N.Y.)
Gropp earned his first two career wins in a 2-0 week for Potsdam. He had a 4.50 goals-against-average and a .710 save percentage. In his first collegiate start against Castleton on Tuesday, Gropp made 13 saves in Potsdam's 14-3 rout of the Spartans. He then finished the week with nine saves in a 11-7 win over Kean.
WOMEN'S LACROSSE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Katie Kleine (SR)
Fredonia, Midfielder (Cazenovia, N.Y./Cazenovia)
Kleine was Fredonia's top playmaker during a 3-0 week. She had 14 assists in the three games, including seven in a 16-5 win over St. Lawrence. She also had five goals in that game; her 12 total points is the second-best game in program history, one short of her 13 points in a 2013 game vs. New Paltz. In the process, she became Fredonia's all-time assist leader. She has 101 in her career, 10 more than the previous record-holder.
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WOMEN'S LACROSSE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK – Nicole Burrows (FR)
Fredonia, Goalkeeper (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker)
Burrows had three straight games of 11 saves as Fredonia improved to 5-1 with three wins during the week. In the process, she lowered her goals-against average to 7.50 and her save percentage to .516.Â
