For the second time this season, Francis Marion University senior shortstop Madalyn White and senior right-hander Jenna Walling have been named the Conference Carolinas softball Player and Pitcher of the Week respectively for the same week, this time for March 23-29.

A native of Currie, N.C., White batted .550 (11 for 20) in six road games last week, while scoring six runs and recording two doubles, and a run batted in.  She posted a .609 on-base percentage with five stolen bases in six attempts from the leadoff spot in the lineup.  In the field, she registered 10 putouts and 13 assists, while not committing an error.

In doubleheader sweep at UNC Pembroke, she went 4-for-7 with four runs scored.  In a sweep at Barton College, she went 2-for-5 with an RBI, while in a doubleheader split at Chowan University, she was 5-for-8 with two runs scored.

Despite missing nine games earlier this year with an injury, White ranks third in the conference in batting (.465), second in runs scored (38), fourth in on-base percentage (.542) and tied for fourth in stolen bases (18).  She has reached base safely in 30 of her 31 games this season.

A native of Johns Island, S.C., Walling went 4-0 with a save and a 0.23 earned run average in six appearances in the circle.  She registered four complete games and logged 30.0 innings, while allowing only 24 hits, one earned run, and four walks against 25 strikeouts. 

In game one at UNCP, she pitched a six-hitter (0 earned runs) with a walk and three strikeouts, only to follow that up with a four-hitter (0 earned runs) with no walks and five strikeouts in game two.  In game one at Barton, she tossed a seven-hitter in eight innings with no earned runs allowed, one walk, and 10 strikeouts to become the first Division II pitcher to reach 20 wins this season (and only the second Patriot hurler to record three 20-win seasons in a career).  In the second contest at Barton, she was credited a save after securing the final out with the tying on base.  That was her seventh career save tying the FMU all-time record.  In the opener at Chowan, she tossed a four-hitter (1 earned run) with two walks and five strikeouts. In that contest, she had a streak of 37.0 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run snapped.  In game two at Chowan, she pitched 2.2 scoreless innings in relief with two strikeouts.

At the plate, she also batted .235 with a run scored, three doubles, and five RBIs.

Walling continues to lead the country (NCAA II) in wins (21), strikeouts (164), complete games (23), and innings pitched (172.0).

The pair helped the Patriots to a 5-1 week, and to the program's fifth consecutive 30-win campaign.

Francis Marion, now 31-10, moved up five positions to 14th in this week's National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association (NFCA)/GoRout NCAA Division II Top 25 coaches poll.  FMU will play a conference twinbill at the University of Mount Olive on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in its only action this week.

White is majoring in biology and healthcare administration and is a product of Heide Trask High School.  Walling has already earned her undergraduate degree and is part of the MBA graduate program at FMU.  She is a product of First Baptist School.

   
       Madalyn White                        Jenna Walling