SLU’s Johnson repeats, NSU’s Darr dominates for second Southland Softball Player of the Week awards of 2023

FRISCO, Texas – Southeastern’s Lexi Johnson repeated as Hitter of the Week and Northwestern State’s Maggie Darr dominated in the circle to win Pitcher of the Week as the Southland Softball Player of the Week awards for the second week of the 2023 season were announced Monday by the conference office.

Hitter of the Week: Lexi Johnson, Southeastern – Jr. – INF – Reserve, La. (Riverside Acad.)
Johnson was again SLU’s top hitter during a 6-0 week that ran the Lady Lions’ record to 9-0 – the longest unbeaten start to a season in program history. She was third on the team with a .556 batting average for the week, while leading the team with six runs, 10 hits, two triples, two home runs and 10 RBI. Through the first two weeks, she leads the SLC in batting average, hits, RBI and triples, while also ranking in the top five in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, OPS and runs. She has won both hitter of the week awards so far this season.
Pitcher of the Week: Maggie Darr, Northwestern State – R-So. – RHP – Missouri City, Texas (Ridge Point HS)
Darr tossed two complete game shutouts for two of the Lady Demons’ five wins on the weekend, allowing just four hits in 14.0 innings of work and striking out 19. After a shutout of Florida A&M with a run-rule 9-0 win in her first start on Friday, Darr came entered the game in relief on Saturday, slamming the door on Gardner-Webb striking out five of the six batters she faced and setting the stage for her Sunday finale. Darr retired the first 16 Toledo batters of the game, taking a perfect game into the sixth inning. The only blemish in the game came on a one-out single in the sixth as she finished the game with nine strikeouts and only allowed two total baserunners, the second coming on a dropped third strike on her ninth punch out in the seventh, and faced just one batter over the minimum. On the weekend batters went a combined 4-for-47 (.085) at the plate.

2023 Southland Softball Players of the Week
Date Hitter of the Week Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 13 Lexi Johnson, Southeastern Cera Blanchard, Southeastern
Feb. 20 Lexi Johnson, Southeastern (2) Maggie Darr, Northwestern State

Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.