Carly Erpelding of the Barton Community College softball team has been named the Week 5 Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) Division I Player of the Week.
Erpelding powered Barton to a pair of splits with a scorching .692 batting average while blasting two home runs and two doubles in addition to driving in six runs and scoring six more. The freshman catcher posted a 1.308 slugging percentage and .688 on-base percentage, reaching base in 11 of 16 plate appearances, and was flawless defensively with 21 putouts and four assists without an error.
Erpelding opened the week against Rose State College by batting .714 across the twin bill, collecting five hits with two extra-base knocks, including a home run, while driving five of Barton's nine runs. She followed with four more hits in six at-bats against Northeastern Junior College, adding two more extra-base hits, including her second home run of the week and another four RBI.
The honor is the second for the Cougars this season, joining Charley Wheeler's week three pitching distinction.
Most recently, Erpelding was nearly flawless in Monday's sweep of Division II, then No. 18 ranked Cowley College, finishing 4-for-5 with four RBI while homering in both games, including a game one tying blast leading to the victory, giving the Owasso, Oklahoma, native a team-leading five home runs on the season.
Now 8-8 on the season, Erpelding and the Cougars now turn focus to conference play beginning Thursday at Fort Hays Tech Northwest before traveling to Pratt Community College on Saturday. First pitch for both doubleheaders is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.