University of Rio Grande senior Ariel Roder (29) was named the NAIA National Player of the Week on Tuesday after going 13-for-18 at the plate while leading URG to a 5-1 record.
Courtesy photo/URG Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ariel Roder of Rio Grande has been named the NAIA National Softball Player of the Week and Victoria Decker of Campbellsville (KY) has been named the NAIA National Softball Pitcher of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday.
Roder and Decker were selected based on their performances from March 14-20, and were chosen out of a pool of conference, independent and unaffiliated group winners. This is the first NAIA National Softball weekly award.
Roder, a senior from Parma Heights, Ohio, went 13-for-18 at the plate to lead Rio Grande to a 5-1 record on the week. She hit safely in every game, had five multi-hit games and two games with three hits.
Roder had two doubles, two home runs, two walks six RBIs and scored six runs on the week with a slugging percentage was 1.167. She had a big doubleheader versus IU Southeast by going 5-for-6 with two doubles.
Roder currently ranks 22nd nationally in slugging percentage (.831).
Decker, a senior pitcher from Leitchfield, Ky., finished the week with three wins, including a no-hitter against Brescia (KY), 10-0 and two wins against then-No. 2 Lindsey Wilson (KY) (12-3 and 7-0). She picked up her second save of the season in the final game against Lindsey Wilson (4-3).
Decker pitched 17.2 innings, striking out 17 batters, while allowing only three runs.
She currently ranks eighth in the NAIA in saves (2), 17th in opponent batting average (.260) and 18th in wins (9).
Randy Payton is the Sports Information Director at the University of Rio Grande.
