The Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) has named Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) softball player Josie Swafford the ICCAC Division II Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 22 to 28.
The honor is the fifth Swafford has received from the conference this season. She also received the honor for the weeks of March 4 to 10, March 11 to 17, March 25 to 31 and April 8 to 14.
Swafford is one of three DMACC softball players honored by the conference this season. Sophomore Mia Ruther of Burlington was named DII Athlete of the Week for the week of March 25 to 31 and freshman Maddie Karr of Center Point received the honor for the weeks of March 4 to 10 and March 11 to 17.
Swafford pitched in four games during the week, picking up three wins and a save. She pitched the Bears to a 4-1 win over Kirkwood Community College (KCC), a 16-1 win over Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) and a 5-3 win over North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC). Swafford earned a save in a 7-4 win over KCC.
Swafford pitched 21 innings during the week, allowing two earned runs from 12 hits and she struck out 23 batters.
Swafford is 19-1 with a 1.01 earned run average and three saves this season. She has pitched 124 and a third innings, allowing 22 runs on 66 hits. She has struck out 175 batters, walked 32 and is averaging 9.85 strikeouts per seven innings pitched. Eighteen of the 22 runs allowed by Swafford are earned.
Swafford leads the ICCAC in ERA and is second in wins and strikeouts.
Swafford has helped her own cause with a .416 batting average, a .485 on-base percentage and a .640 slugging percentage. She has 37 hits in 89 at-bats. Her hits include seven doubles, two triples and three home runs. She has driven in 34 runs and scored 28 runs.
Swafford is expected to be in the circle this weekend when the Bears close out the regular season with doubleheaders against Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) and Southwestern Community College May 4 and 5 respectively. DMACC, 39-6 overall and ranked second in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll, is 22-2 in the ICCAC and is seeking its second consecutive regular season championship. The Bears have a three-game lead over second place KCC.