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Oklahoma softball: Sooners garner two more Big 12 weekly awards

By Chip Rouse

CHIBA, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Aubree Aurielle Munro #1 of United States looks on during the World Championship Final match between United States and Japan at ZOZO Marine Stadium on day eleven of the WBSC Women's Softball World Championship on August 12, 2018 in Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images)
CHIBA, JAPAN - AUGUST 12: Aubree Aurielle Munro #1 of United States looks on during the World Championship Final match between United States and Japan at ZOZO Marine Stadium on day eleven of the WBSC Women's Softball World Championship on August 12, 2018 in Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Takashi Aoyama/Getty Images) /
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Of the 13 weekly softball awards bestowed so far by the Big 12 Conference, seven have gone to Oklahoma softball players.

A pair of Sooners were honored by the conference as Players of the Week for their performance this past week. Junior Giselle Juarez was named Co-Pitcher of the Week along with freshman Shealyn O’Leary of Texas, and Sooner senior second baseman Caleigh Clifton earned Player of the Week honors.

For Clifton, this was the first time in her four seasons at OU that she has received the top weekly honor. Juarez, who is in her first season at Oklahoma after transferring from Arizona State, has been named Pitcher of the Week twice already this season.

Clifton was one of four Sooner players last week to hit .500. She collected seven hits in 14 trips to the plate, including two home runs, a double, 14 total bases and nine runs scored. She also drew four walks and stole two bases in as many attempts.

The OU third-baseman had at least one hit in all five Sooner victories last week, matching her career-long hitting streak at seven games.

Behind the senior Sooner captain’s stellar offensive performance, Oklahoma’s stats for the week were the best in the Big 12 in nine different offensive categories: team batting average (.431), on-base percentage (.516), slugging percentage (.699), runs (58), hits (66), doubles (13), home runs (7), RBI (57) and walks 21).

Juarez added a couple more victories last week. Her victory total has now reached 11 for the season without a loss. One of those two wins was a no-hitter over Loyola Marymount, the first of her career and the first by a Big 12 pitcher since 2015.

A left-handed hurler, Juarez registered 18 strikeouts in her two weekend victories. She and teammates Mariah Lopez and Shannon Saile have received five of the seven Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors conferred so far this season. Between them, the three OU pitchers have a combined record of 25-2, which equals the second-ranked Sooners’ season record.

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