McKenzie Slaven '20 won her second EC Athlete of the Week Award with a tremendous performance in the pitcher's circle. In the final doubleheader of the year for the Elmira softball team, the local product from nearby Horseheads, New York, threw her second complete-game shutout in a 2-0 victory over SUNY Canton on Tuesday, May 1.
In her 10th complete game of the spring, Slaven scattered a mere three hits and one walk across 7.0 innings of work. After escaping a bases-loaded jam with a punch out for the third out of the first inning, she faced just two batters over the minimum across the next six frames. The right-handed sophomore closed the game by striking out all three 'Roos she faced in the seventh. In total, Slaven recorded a season-high-tying eight strikeouts against SUNY Canton.
In her debut season, Slaven proved to be one of the best in the Empire 8, as she ranks in the top-10 in ERA (2.81), strikeouts (52), and opponent's batting average (.298). Her earned-run average and strikeout total are the best by an EC pitcher since the 2014 campaign. At the plate, she also batted a respectable .267 with eight RBIs and seven runs scored.
