Feb. 24, 2009

Center Valley, Pa.--Lehigh started the season by sweeping the first batch of Patriot League weekly awards. Senior Lisa Sweeney, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year and Patriot League Pitcher of the Year, was named Patriot League Player of the Week and Patriot League Pitcher of the Week. Her teammate, Julie Fernandez, was tabbed Patriot League Rookie of the Week.

Patriot League Player of the Week

Lisa Sweeney, Lehigh Sr., P/UT, Lumberton, N.J. Sweeney drove in nine runs in Lehigh's first four games of the season. She batted .400 with a 1.300 slugging percentage and a .625 on-base percentage. She homered twice in the Mountain Hawks' 16-4 win on Friday against Gardner-Webb, the first of which was a three-run blast to tie the game. It was the first multiple-home run game for a Lehigh player since Alex Cueva went yard twice against Penn on March 25, 2008. Sweeney belted three more home runs, including a grand slam, in the Mountain Hawks' 16-11 loss to Gardner-Webb on Saturday. She now has 19 career home runs, two shy of a school record. The only game in which Sweeney did not record a base hit was in Saturday's early contest when she drew four walks in the Mountain Hawks' 7-5 victory over Gardner-Webb.

Patriot League Pitcher of the Week

Lisa Sweeney, Lehigh Sr., P/UT, Lumberton, N.J. Sweeney earned wins in both of her starts over the weekend. She went the distance in both games, totaling 19 strikeouts compared to just three walks. She now has 73 career wins and 706 career strikeouts. She notched her 700th career strikeout on Saturday against Gardner-Webb.

Patriot League Rookie of the Week

Julie Fernandez, Lehigh Fr., 1B, Moorpark, Calif. Fernandez batted .308 with a .846 slugging percentage and a .400 on-base percentage while helping Lehigh go 3-1 over the weekend. She hit two home runs, both of which tied games that Lehigh eventually won. She also scored a run in all four games. Defensively, Fernandez made 19 putouts at first base without an error.