Franchi Repeats as NWC Student-Athlete of the Week

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Nikki Franchi (Sr., RHP/DP, Los Gatos, CA/Saratoga HS) of Willamette University has been named Northwest Conference Softball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week for the second week in a row. Franchi went 4-0 in games played between March 23 and March 29, while achieving an earned run average of 0.81 and striking out 41 batters in 26 innings.

Franchi helped Willamette go 6-1 during the week. She threw four complete games, including two shutout wins. She also pitched two innings in relief. She limited opponents to a .130 batting average, with just 12 hits in 92 at bats.

In each of her four starts, she allowed four hits or less. She held Oregon Tech to just two hits in a 4-0 win. For the week, she gave up four runs -- three earned. She allowed only four walks.

Franchi is 8-1 on the season. She has struck out 89 batters in 59 innings (10.6 per 7 innings). She has provided the Bearcats with a 1.31 ERA.

Willamette is 15-2 overall and 8-2 in the Northwest Conference. The Bearcats were ranked #7 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 Poll for NCAA Division III released on March. 25.

The 'Cats will play Lewis & Clark College in a Northwest Conference doubleheader at the WU Softball Field on Wednesday, April 1 at 3:30 p.m. (PDT). The games were rescheduled from March 14, when they were rained out.