Carson-Newman’s Macauley Bailey was selected as the South Atlantic Conference Varsity Gems Softball Player of the Week, while Lenoir-Rhyne’s Morgan Beeler was named the SAC Varsity Gems Softball Pitcher of the Week for games played during Week 7 of the 2023 season, the conference office announced Tuesday. 

Both Bailey and Beeler earned the honor for the second consecutive week. 

Bailey, a freshman catcher from Cross Plains, Tennessee, drove in and scored a run in every game this week, as she ran her hitting streak to 12 games. 

For the first time since @LacieRinus in 2017, @cnsball has had a player earn back-to-back weekly honors.

The national leader in RBI @MacauleyBailey sweeps both @SAC_Athletics and @writers_sports honors for a second straight week.

📋 https://t.co/g3XKMjPSRh pic.twitter.com/q4a5rEqtGC

— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) March 21, 2023

Bailey recorded five runs and 11 RBIs on the week and posted a .643 batting average, .706 on-base percentage and a .929 slugging percentage. 

She has driven in a run in 11-of-12 games for the month of March and has had multiple hits in three of the last four and six of the last eight games. 

She extended her lead among all players in all divisions for the most RBIs in the country with 47.

Beeler, a senior pitcher from Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, threw her second career no-hitter against No. 18 Wingate on Tuesday, striking out seven. 

🚨No-hitter alert 🚨

Hear from Morgan Beeler after the Bears first no-hitter at Bears Field since April 2016. #GOBEARS | @LRSoftball pic.twitter.com/LkiTgidsyo

— #GOBEARS (@LRbears) March 15, 2023

After shutting out No. 24 Anderson last week, Beeler recorded back-to-back shutouts in the span of four days. 

On Thursday, she came in relief to pick up her 12th win of the season and 42nd of her career, allowing two unearned runs in three innings of relief. 

Beeler had a 1.57 ERA for the week in 13 1/3 innings, only allowing six hits, while striking out 11.

2023 SAC Varsity Gems Softball Players Of The Week

Player of the Week

Feb. 7 – Kayson Boatner, Anderson
Feb. 14 – McKenzie Henry, Lincoln Memorial
Feb. 21 – Savanna Balderston, Catawba
Feb. 28 – Chloe Freischmidt, Tusculum
March 7 – Hannah Reeves, Wingate
March 14 – Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman
March 21 – Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman

Pitcher of the Week

Feb. 7 – Lauren Rakes, Lenoir-Rhyne
Feb. 14 – Syerra Rogers, Carson-Newman}
Feb. 21 – Jenae Fedewa, Coker
Feb. 28 – Raechel Cutcher, Wingate
March 7 – Alyssa Poston, Mars Hill
March 14 – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
March 21 – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne

Varsity Gems is an official corporate partner of the South Atlantic Conference and title sponsor of the SAC Player of the Week awards program.