INDIANAPOLIS – Lake Erie and Walsh were presented with Great Midwest Athletic Conference Softball Players of the Week honors as announced on Tuesday.
 
Player of the Week
Savannah Karako
Lake Erie
Utility
Senior
Fairport Harbor, OH (Lake Catholic HS)
 
Karako enjoyed a strong season-opening weekend in Clermont, Fla., going 6-for-9 against three non-conference opponents with a pair of extra-base hits.
 
She doubled in her first at-bat of the spring against American International College before belting a two-run go-ahead blast in the fifth inning. Karako’s first home run broke a 2-2 tie.
 
The Storm would go on to win 4-3 as Karako went 2-for-2 with two RBI, three runs scored and a walk.
 
LEC kept it close in a pair of one-run defeats in the next two games against Davenport and Gannon with four hits in seven at-bats. She was 3-for-4 against Gannon with an RBI and walked, singled and drove in another run against Davenport.
 
Karako was a Second Team All-GLIAC selection as a junior for Lake Erie.
 
Pitcher of the Week
Olivia Pifer
Walsh
Right-Handed Pitcher
Senior
Loveland, OH (Loveland HS)
 
Pifer put in plenty of work for the Cavaliers in the circle with two starts and a pair of relief appearances. Walsh opened its season out in Rosemont, Ill., and went 2-2 against the likes of Missouri S&T, Illinois Springfield, William Jewell and Lindenwood.
 
All told, she compiled a 2.10 ERA in 20 innings pitched and was 1-1 with 11 strikeouts.
 
Her first winning decision of the spring came against Missouri S&T as she went the distance for a complete game. She struck out three Miners hitters and walked just one.
 
Pifer also earned the win against Lindenwood with five scoreless frames. She scattered three hits and recorded a pair of strikeouts.
 
In a tough loss against Midwest Region opponent UIS, she came in for three scoreless innings in a relief role. She also pitched five innings against William Jewell, taking the loss, but also registering five strikeouts.