Randi Gillespie Named NEC Player of the Week a Second Time

5/2/05 -- Sophomore Randi Gillespie (San Jose, Calif.) today was named Northeast Conference Softball Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Gillespie earned the award after batting .615 (8-for-13) last week with a double, three home runs and six RBI to help LIU (18-25, 12-4 NEC) split four games. She collected four hits in each of the two doubleheaders the Blackbirds played.

The 5-6 left fielder opened the week Monday batting 2-for-2 with a homer and three RBI in LIU’s 8-0 victory over Quinnipiac. She rapped two hits in the nightcap, a 10-5 setback.

Gillespie carried the momentum into Sunday’s doubleheader at Wagner, hitting two homers in the opener and closing with three hits in LIU’s 8-5 victory. She added a hit in game two as her team suffered a 9-1 loss.

Gillespie, who is riding a seven-game hitting streak, leads the Blackbirds with a .349 batting average and 30 RBI. Against the NEC, she is batting .469 with 23 hits and 23 RBI.

The NEC Player of the Week from April 4 has made 17 starts in left field this season and the Blackbirds are 12-5 in those contests.

LIU returns to the campus of Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y. on Wednesday to host Robert Morris in a doubleheader, beginning at 11:00 am.