INDIANAPOLIS – The postseason tournament is just under two weeks away and Great Midwest Athletic Conference Softball Players of the Week honors were announced on Monday. 
 
Ohio Dominican is the first of eight teams to officially lock in a playoff bid to Akron, Ohio, and Firestone Stadium, the new home for this year’s Great Midwest Championship. 
 
The Panthers lead the league with a 17-3 conference record and have the inside track for the top overall seed and regular-season title. 
 
Player of the Week
Allison Brunner
Findlay
Infield
Junior
Kettering, OH (Archbishop Alter HS)
 
The Oilers greatly enhanced their postseason chances with an impressive sweep against Kentucky Wesleyan as weather hampered part of the league schedule over the past week. 
 
Findlay carved out 7-4 and 12-9 victories at home, successfully bouncing back from a tough two-game set vs. Ursuline six days prior. 
 
Brunner homered in both games and was 4-for-6 at the plate with four runs scored and three RBI. She also had a double and drew a walk while starting at second base defensively. 
 
Brunner was 2-for-2 with a home run, a solo blast in her first at-bat, and double in game one. 
 
She went yard one more time in game two in her first plate appearance again, this time in the first inning for another solo shot. Brunner also lined an RBI single in the fifth inning to key a three-run frame for the UF offense. 
 
The junior infielder has started 39 of the 40 games appeared in and is hitting .285 with a team-leading 31 runs scored. 
 
Pitcher of the Week
Rachel Ward
Lake Erie
RHP
Freshman
 
Ward dazzled in the circle with a complete-game win vs. Ursuline in a very close 2-1 final dueling against Arrows ace Brooklyn Miller. 
 
Ward scattered one unearned run over the seven strong innings and struck out three while scattering seven hits. 
 
It was the freshman’s first winning decision of her career and couldn’t have come at a better time with the Strom trying to make the playoffs.
 
Ward has made nine appearances, including five starts and sports a 3.62 ERA with a 1-3 record so far this spring.