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MWC Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week
UNLV's Marissa Nichols and BYU's Summer Tobias honored
April 12, 2005 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - UNLV freshman Marissa Nichols and BYU junior righthander Summer Tobias have been named Mountain West Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. This is the fifth weekly award of the season for Nichols and the third for Tobias. Nichols, a Diamond Bar, Calif., native, hit .538 (7-for-13) in four conference games last week, helping UNLV to a 3-1 record. She tallied a home run, two doubles, an RBI, four runs scored and two stolen bases, while hitting safely in all four games. She started the week going 3-for-6 from the plate in a doubleheader vs. first-place BYU, including a 2-for-2, one RBI, three runs scored performance in the Rebels' 6-5 game two victory. Nichols got the scoring started for UNLV in the bottom of the third by drawing a walk and later scoring on a fielder's choice. She drew another walk in the fourth inning and scored again to kick off a three-run inning for the Rebels, giving them a 5-2 lead. In her next at bat in the UNLV sixth, she blasted a solo home run, which proved to be the game-winning hit as the Rebels held on for a 6-5 win. She then went 1-for-4, with a double in game one vs. Utah, and concluded her weekend with a 3-for-3, one run scored effort in UNLV's 4-3 game two win. Nichols also stole two bases on the week giving her 25 stolen bases in 25 attempts on the season and tying the UNLV all-time single season steals record in the process. On the season, Nichols leads the MWC in batting average (.448), on-base percentage (.509), runs scored (45), hits (65), triples (six), stolen bases (25) and total bases (124), and is second in slugging percentage (.855), doubles (14) and home runs (11). Tobias, from Temecula, Calif., posted a 3-0 record in three appearances for BYU last week, including complete game victories over conference opponents San Diego State and UNLV. In 18.0 innings on the mound, she gave up three earned runs, while striking out 12 and giving up 17 hits. In her first appearance of the week vs. Utah State, Tobias gave up two hits and a run, while striking out four in 4.0 innings of work. In game one vs. San Diego State, she struck out three, while giving up six hits as BYU defeated the Aztecs 5-0. In the opening game of the UNLV series, Tobias gave up nine hits and two earned runs, while striking out five batters, helping the Cougars maintain sole possession of first place in the MWC with a 6-5 win. On the year, Tobias is 12-4 with a 1.45 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 101.2 innings on the mound.
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