Lauren Witzke and Devon Ripley Named Goldey-Beacom March Athletes of the Month
PIKE CREEK, Del. – Senior softball player Lauren Witzke and freshman golfer Devon Ripley have been named the Goldey-Beacom College female and male athletes for the month of March, it was announced by the GBC athletic office today.
Witzke, who bats in the leadoff spot for head coach Jerry Grasso’s squad and plays catcher, first base and right field, led the Lightning to a record of 5-5 during the month of March. She bat .500 with a team-high 15 hits, drove in nine RBI’s, drew seven walks, and stole four bases. She also had a .980 fielding percentage with 46 put-outs and three assists.
A native of Laurel, Del., Witzke drove in the only run of the game to lift the Lightning to a 1-0 victory over Concordia in the first game of the doubleheader on Mar. 20. Then in the same weekend, she collected three hits, five walks, two runs scored, five runs batted in and two stolen bases during two lopsided victories over Penn State Abington (21-0, 16-1) on Mar. 21. She also helped the Lightning sweep a doubleheader at Chestnut Hill (4-1, 4-2) on Mar. 25 when she combined for four hits, one run scored and one run batted in.
Witzke had at least one hit in all 10 games during the month of March, including five games with two hits. She also drew seven walks.
The Lightning are 9-7 for the season through the end of March. Witzke is batting .377 through games of Mar. 28, with team-highs of 20 hits, three doubles and one triple, as well as 13 RBI’s and a .468 on-base percentage. She’s stolen eight bases in nine attempts. Defensively, she has a .968 fielding percentage with 53 put-outs and eight assists.
Out of Delmar High School, Witzke is a two-sport athlete here at Goldey-Beacom, competing in both volleyball and softball. She majors in Business Administration with an emphasis in management.
Ripley has been a big reason for the golf team’s success in the month of March. The Camden, Del. native out of Caesar Rodney High School shot a team-best 166 on a par-72 course at the St. James Plantation Tournament the weekend of Mar. 12-14, a 159 at the St. Thomas Aquinas Invitational where the Lightning placed fifth of nine teams, and then shot an impressive 72 (par-70) in the one and only round of golf played at GBC’s Invitational on Mar. 29 at Deerfield where the Lightning tied for second among 14 teams.
