Zoeller and Robert Earn Top Liberty League Awards

Softball | 5/18/2021 11:30:00 AM

Juniors Olivia Zoeller and Kayla Robert headlined the Clarkson University Softball team's selections in the Liberty League All-Star honors as Zoeller was chosen as the Liberty League Pitcher of the Year and Robert was named the Liberty League's Co-Player of the Year.

Both Zoeller and Robert were also named as Liberty League First-Team All-Stars, joined by shortstop Bridget Twaits on the first-team honorees, while Maddie Brink was picked as a Liberty League Second-Team All-Star.

Zoeller was dominant throughout her junior campaign for the Golden Knights, going 14-4 with a 0.96 earned run average and 184 strikeouts in 109.1 innings worth or work. She was just as impressive in conference games, earning nine wins with a 1.19 ERA and 127 whiffs in 76.2 innings. She posted six shutouts overall and allowed opponents to hit just .150 off of her all season long. Overall, Zoeller ranks fourth in NCAA Division III in strikeouts per seven innings (11.8 k/7) seventh in total strikeouts (184), 13th in earned run average (0.96), 15th in hits allowed per seven innings (3.71 h/7), and 28th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.36 k/bb).

Robert, who shared her player of the year honor with a member of the Rochester softball team, led the league with a .495 batting average and also had the top figure in on-base percentage at .549. She slugged .733 thanks to 74 total bases (second in the Liberty League) and drove in 34 runs on a league-high 50 hits. She did much of her damage in conference games, batting .469 with 30 hits and 18 driven in during 20 Liberty League contests. Robert also posted the longest hitting streak in program history, starting the year on a 21-game run, making it 28 straight games over the course of the end of the 2020 season and start of 2021, tying for the 15th-longest in NCAA Division III history.

Sophomore shortstop Bridget Twaits was also named as a Liberty League First-Team All-Star, settling in near the top of the Clarkson batting order for most of the year. Twaits batted .410/.452/.462 overall, putting her batting average in the top five in the conference and her on-base percentage in the top 10. Twaits scored 21 runs and drove in 11 more and was the team's top threat on the base paths, swiping 11 bases in 13 tries.

Junior catcher Maddie Brink was picked as a Liberty League Second-Team All-Star after hitting .393/.429/.539. A middle of the order slugger, Brink accounted for 48 total bases in 28 games overall, including three home runs. She scored 12 times and drove in 19 runs in 89 at bats, ranking third on the team in hits with 35.

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Players Mentioned

#23 Maddie Brink: IF/C; 5' 8"; Junior; R/R

#4 Kayla Robert: IF; 5' 5"; Junior; R/R

#5 Bridget Twaits: UT; 5' 4"; Sophomore; R/R

#9 Olivia Zoeller: P/OF; 5' 4"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#23 Maddie Brink
: 5' 8"; Junior; R/R
: IF/C

#4 Kayla Robert
: 5' 5"; Junior; R/R
: IF

#5 Bridget Twaits
: 5' 4"; Sophomore; R/R
: UT

#9 Olivia Zoeller
: 5' 4"; Junior; R/R
: P/OF