Six Times! Nester Honored as Conference USA Pitcher of the Week

IRVING, Texas – Marshall softball redshirt junior pitcher Sydney Nester was named the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week for the sixth time this season, the league office announced on Monday.

Since 2000, Nester is the ninth pitcher in Conference USA history to be selected as Pitcher of the Week at least six times in a season, and is the first since Kylee Hanson was honored seven times in 2016. The record for most selections in a single-season in C-USA history belongs to Miranda Kramer of WKU who piled up eight in 2015.

Last week, Nester picked up three more wins and one save. She had four appearances, three starts, three complete games and two shutouts. Nester allowed 13 total hits, three runs, two earned, struck out 19 and had a 0.67 ERA over 21 innings.

The Hillsville, Virginia, native began the week with a complete-game victory at Northern Kentucky on Tuesday. Nester allowed five hits, two runs, one earned and had five strikeouts. With Marshall leading by one in the bottom of the seventh, the right-handed pitcher struck out the last batter to complete the victory. She recorded her 560th career strikeout to end the fifth.

In game one of the FIU series, Nester allowed just three hits and had eight strikeouts earning her eighth shutout of the season. She had two strikeouts in the second, third and seventh innings. Nester ended the sixth with her sixth strikeout of the day, stranding a runner at second. In the seventh, FIU managed to get the leadoff batter on base from a walk. Nester then induced a ground ball to fifth-year senior Madison Whitaker at second for the first out. Next, Nester sat down the next two batters to preserve the shutout.

Nester entered game two against FIU to begin the sixth inning with the Herd leading 3-1. The Panthers scored one run in the sixth to cut the deficit to one, and then Nester retired the next two batters with a lineout to senior Grace Chelemen in center and then another grounder to Whitaker at second. In the seventh inning, Nester struck out the first batter before allowing a base hit. She rebounded yet again with another grounder to Whitaker at second and finally her second strikeout. Nester picked up her third save of the season.

The redshirt junior was dominant from the start in the series finale. Even when FIU put runners on base, Nester and the Marshall defense shut it down. In the first, Nester recorded her first strikeout of the game to end the inning and strand two runners on base. She tallied two more Ks in the second and one in the third for her fourth of the day. Nester did not record a strikeout in the fourth or fifth innings, but it wasn't needed. She retired the side in the fourth in just 10 pitches and needed half that amount to finish off the fifth. Even after allowing a leadoff double in the fifth, and then the runner moving to third on a sacrifice bunt, Nester finished the inning not allowing the runner to cross the plate with the last two outs coming on just three pitches. Marshall went on to score six runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game early. Nester picked up her 20th win and ninth shutout of the season.

Nester has been selected as pitcher of the week more times this season than any other Herd pitcher in team history. She is also already approaching the team record for most in a career. Marshall Hall of Famer Sara Gulla (1998-2001) was honored seven times as the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Week during her great career.

Nester hasn't lost a game since March 20 at UAB and has won her last nine-straight starts. That is tied for the third-longest streak in team history. Jordan Dixon won nine-straight in 2015 and holds the record with wins in 17-consecutive starts from March 3 to April 14, 2017. Nester's 20 wins is tied for 12th-most in a season in team history while her nine shutouts are fourth-best with the Herd.

Marshall is back in action with a midweek, non-conference contest against the Morehead State Eagles on Wednesday, April 20. The Herd then gets back in C-USA action April 22-24, on the road at WKU.

Conference USA Pitchers with 6 or more Pitcher of the Week Selections
Miranda Kramer (WKU) – 8 in 2015
Courtney Blades (Southern Miss) – 7 in 2000
Toni Paisley (ECU) – 7 in 2009 and 2010
Kylee Hanson (FAU) – 7 n 2016
Lindsey Chouinard (DePaul) – 6 in 2003
Angel Shamblin (Houston) – 6 in 2008
Aimee Creger (Tulsa) – 6 in 2014
Sydney Nester (Marshall) – 6 in 2022

For all of the latest information on the Marshall Softball team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdSB, Facebook at Marshall University Softball and on www.herdzone.com.

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Marshall University Athletics

Six Times! Nester Honored as Conference USA Pitcher of the Week

Players Mentioned

Grace Chelemen

Sydney Nester

Madison Whitaker

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