University of Tennessee Athletics
Abbott Named National Pro Fastpitch Championship MVP
August 21, 2017 | Softball
Baton Rouge, La. – Tennessee alumna and VFL Monica Abbott showed once again why she is one of the best to ever play the game of softball. Abbott and the Scrap Yard Dogs captured their first Cowles Cup with a 5-2 win over the USSSA Pride in the winner-take-all contest in the final series in the 2017 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Championship held at Tiger Park on the campus of LSU.
For her stellar performance, Abbott was named MVP of the NPF championship series. Over the course of the Championships, the southpaw limited foes to just 15 hits and struck out 56 over 29 innings.
Abbott, who is no stranger to the big stage, threw two complete games on the afternoon, limiting the Pride to just two runs on four hits while striking out 11. Her two-hit, 14-strikeout performance earlier in the day forced the decisive third game.
In 14 total innings pitched on Sunday, Abbott gave up just one earned run and struck out 25.
"Abbott proved once again that she is the best pitcher in the world," said co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly. "She is a great ambassador of the University of Tennessee and she is an amazing young woman."
Abbott, who is the first softball player to earn $1 million in her career, finished the game off in style with consecutive strikeouts of Sierra Romero and pinch hitter Gionna DiSalvatore.
In the first game, Abbott twice led off innings by allowing baserunners – only to then strike out the side to end the frame. Her effort, already impressive, was made all the more so by a rain delay that pushed the finale on Sunday back until 8:30 p.m. local time.
In a 22-hour span, Abbott tossed 18.1 innings and threw 361 pitches.
Abbott arrived at Tennessee in 2004 from Salinas, Calif., and during her time on Rocky Top, she became the standard to pitching in not only the SEC but the country.
Abbott was the 2007 USA Softball Player of the Year, Honda Award winner for softball (2007), three-time SEC Pitcher of the Year, four-time All-American and SEC Rookie of the Year (2004). She currently holds the NCAA Division I record for career victories (189), career shutouts (112), career strikeouts (2,440), career appearances (253) and the single–season record for strikeouts with 724 in 2007.
-Part of story is courtesy of NPF and espnW.
For her stellar performance, Abbott was named MVP of the NPF championship series. Over the course of the Championships, the southpaw limited foes to just 15 hits and struck out 56 over 29 innings.
Abbott, who is no stranger to the big stage, threw two complete games on the afternoon, limiting the Pride to just two runs on four hits while striking out 11. Her two-hit, 14-strikeout performance earlier in the day forced the decisive third game.
In 14 total innings pitched on Sunday, Abbott gave up just one earned run and struck out 25.
"Abbott proved once again that she is the best pitcher in the world," said co-head coaches Ralph and Karen Weekly. "She is a great ambassador of the University of Tennessee and she is an amazing young woman."
Abbott, who is the first softball player to earn $1 million in her career, finished the game off in style with consecutive strikeouts of Sierra Romero and pinch hitter Gionna DiSalvatore.
In the first game, Abbott twice led off innings by allowing baserunners – only to then strike out the side to end the frame. Her effort, already impressive, was made all the more so by a rain delay that pushed the finale on Sunday back until 8:30 p.m. local time.
In a 22-hour span, Abbott tossed 18.1 innings and threw 361 pitches.
Abbott arrived at Tennessee in 2004 from Salinas, Calif., and during her time on Rocky Top, she became the standard to pitching in not only the SEC but the country.
Abbott was the 2007 USA Softball Player of the Year, Honda Award winner for softball (2007), three-time SEC Pitcher of the Year, four-time All-American and SEC Rookie of the Year (2004). She currently holds the NCAA Division I record for career victories (189), career shutouts (112), career strikeouts (2,440), career appearances (253) and the single–season record for strikeouts with 724 in 2007.
-Part of story is courtesy of NPF and espnW.
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