Christa Hunter Enjoying Breakthrough Season
3/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Christa Hunter Enjoying Breakthrough Season
3/21/2005
PITTSBURGH?Following a 4-1 record and a second-place finish at the JMU Dukes Invitational, junior pitcher/designated hitter Christa Hunter was named to the All-Tournament Team for her efforts.
Hunter (Sacramento, Calif./Hiram Johnson West) hit .600 in the Panthers' five games with nine hits in 15 at-bats, including four doubles, and drove in seven runs. She was 3-for-3 with two doubles and a career-best four RBIs in a 6-1 win over Robert Morris and also had three hits in a 9-2 win over Morgan State.
With her weekend performance, Hunter has improved her batting average to a team-best .323 with eight doubles, two home runs and 16 RBIs. She is only of two Big East players that is currently among the top 15 in batting average and ERA. Hunter has the 12th-best earned-run average in the conference, posting a 2.40 ERA through 17 appearances thus far in 2005.
In addition to those two conference rankings, Hunter is also first in walks drawn (13) and doubles (eight), fourth in RBIs (16), fourth in on-base percentage (.450), ninth in slugging percentage (.538), fifth in wins (six), first in innings pitched (84.2), second in appearances (17), tied for first in games started (13), tied for third in shutouts (two) and tied for fourth in complete games (eight).
Limited to a few relief appearances and her role as the team's DP because of knee injuries her first two seasons, Hunter is healthy for her junior year and making the most of it. Pittsburgh has won five of its past six games and has matched its best record after 25 games with 11 wins. The Panthers will visit Robert Morris for a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 23.