INDIANAPOLIS - Softball season was in full swing last week, as Malone and Walsh took home Great Midwest Player of the Week honors announced Tuesday.

This was Malone’s first week of competition as the Pioneers started off the season 6-1-1. Walsh picked up five wins this week to improve the Cavaliers’ record to 7-5 on the season. 

Player of the Week
Jessie Rock 
Walsh
Catcher
Senior 
Columbus, Ohio (Groveport-Madison HS)

Walsh split with Anderson (S.C) on Monday, then picked up a pair of wins over both Kentucky State and Wheeling later in the week. 

Jessie Rock had a record breaking week for the Cavaliers, as she set the school record for career home runs with 23 on Sunday. She had four home runs on the week, with three coming against Wheeling on Sunday.

Rock was 9-of-16 at the plate (.526), with nine RBI. On top of her four home runs, she had four singles and one double. 

The senior ranks seventh in the league in hitting with a batting average of .500. in 28 at-bats, she has 14 hits and 13 RBI. Her five home runs are the most so far this season across the league. 

This is the first time in Rock’s career that she has earned conference weekly honors. 

Pitcher of the Week
Kelsey Byers
Malone
Right-handed Pitcher/Infielder 
Junior
Alliance, Ohio (West Branch HS)

Kesley Byers also had a historic week for the Pioneers, as she threw the first known perfect game in Malone history. In a 9-0 win over Rochester on Monday, Byers struck out nine batters in five innings to complete the 15 up, 15 down game. 

Byers earned her second win in the circle in a 3-1 win over Rio Grande on Wednesday. She pitched the complete eight-inning game with 16 strikeouts, striking out an average of two batters per inning. 

In the 13-2 win over Clarks Summit, Byers pitched four innings to earn the win, striking out 11 of 14 batters. She also pitched four innings in the second game of the double header, as Malone won 14-5. 

Against Mississippi University for Women, Byers pitched a complete game to earn the 5-0 shutout. She added 16 more strikeouts, while giving up only one hit. She then pitched six innings to earn the 6-3 win in the second game of the day, where she added 10 more strikeouts. 

On the week, Byers pitched three complete games with two shutouts. She allowed just one earned run in 34 innings pitched and recorded 69 strikeouts to improve to 6-0 on the season. Byers has a .21 ERA so far this season as she is one of the leagues top pitchers.

This is the second time Byers has earned Pitcher of the Week honors, as she first did as a freshman in 2019.