Story by Chad Waller, Director of Communications and Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Catie Flaucher (top left) of Mount Mercy (Iowa) has been named the NAIA Softball National Pitcher of the Week and Janell Laront of Dickinson State (N.D.) has been selected as the National Player of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday. Flaucher and Laront were selected based on their performances from April 21 – 27 and were chosen out of a pool of conference, independent and unaffiliated group winners.

Flaucher, a 5-foot-7 senior pitcher from Independence, Iowa, became the first Mount Mercy pitcher in school history to toss three-straight no-hitters. In the 6-0, 7-inning win over AIB (Iowa) on April 22, Flaucher finished with 14 strikeouts. She followed that up with back-to-back 8-0 shutouts in five innings, one against Grand View (Iowa) on April 25 and the other over Clarke (Iowa) on April 26. For the week, she posted 28 strikeouts and just three walks in 17.0 innings in the circle.

Laront, a 5-foot-7 junior third baseman from San Jose, Calif., batted .733 (11-for-15) on the week and recorded totals of 10 RBIs, six extra-base hits and scored seven runs. One of her highlights came in the 11-1 victory over Mayville State (N.D.) on April 25 when Laront went 3-for-3 with one home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. She compiled at least one hit in each game and had four multi-hit games during the six-game stretch last week.

For a complete listing of national statistical leaders, click here.

The final NAIA National Softball Players of the Week will be announced May 6.

Player Nominees: Kacey Scharnhorst, William Woods (Mo.); Becca Zimmerman, Bryan (Tenn.); Brittany Lamar, William Jessup (Calif.); Kate Santos, Concordia (Ore.); Lindsey Krippel, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); Olivia Winget, Grace (Ind.); Caitrin Debaun, Concordia (Calif.); Lindy Snook, Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.); Cassidy Gillihan, Evangel (Mo.); Shelby Smith, Houston-Victoria (Texas); Lauren Szoboscan, Kansas Wesleyan; Shelby Lucas, Indiana Southeast; Amanda Trampe, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); Augusta Ratliff, Bellevue (Neb.); Brittanee Grove, William Penn (Iowa); Emily Newman, Jamestown (N.D.); Amanda Hinojosa, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas); Annie Combs, Oklahoma Baptist; Allison Barbee, Southern Wesleyan (S.C.); Julia Cullinan, Thomas (Ga.); Sadie Stowell, Aquinas (Mich.).

Pitcher Nominees: Allie Reynolds, Park (Mo.); Madison Luck, Reinhardt (Ga.); Tricia Davidson, Menlo (Calif.); Rylee Carleton, Oregon Tech; Nicole Nonnemacher, Saint Xavier (Ill.); Ashley Riffell, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio); Regan Lawrence, Dickinson State (N.D.); Brittani Mcgue, Concordia (Calif.); Sammy Hislop, Midland (Neb.); Megan Schwindler, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.); Michelle Pilster, Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.); Alicia Fikac, Houston-Victoria (Texas); Stephanie Minder, Bethany (Kan.); Jessica Leanhart, Indiana Southeast; Jordan Hood, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); Taylor Mohler, Bellevue (Neb.); Samantha Nalley, Valley City State (N.D.); Katrisha Arocha, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas); Devon Frazier, St. Gregory's (Okla.); Caroline Sagrera, Spring Hill (Ala.); Lauren West, Southeastern (Fla.); Becca Shineldecker, Aquinas (Mich.).

2014 Softball Weekly Honors (Player, Pitcher):
Week 1 (March 18): Hannah Gardner, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.); Nicole Nonnemacher, Saint Xavier (Ill.)
Week 2 (March 25): Annette Merjano, Concordia (Calif.); Lucy Baldovino, Concordia (Ore.)
Week 3 (April 1): Abbey Wilmes, Grand View (Iowa); Bree Crampton, Madonna (Mich.)
Week 4 (April 8): Alyssa Miller, Ottawa (Kan.); MacKenzie Bowden, William Woods (Mo.)
Week 5 (April 15): Kamara Trice, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.); Virginia McAndrews, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
Week 6 (April 22): Raeven Clark, Oklahoma Baptist; Megan Nonnemacher, Saint Xavier (Ill.)
Week 7 (April 29): Janell Laront, Dickinson State (N.D.); Catie Flaucher, Mount Mercy (Iowa)