BOSTON, Mass. -- Junior pitcher and designated player Bri Melchionda earned her first Little East Conference Player of the Week award this season for UMass Boston Softball as announced by the Little East Conference league office on Monday afternoon.

Melchionda helped lead the Beacons 3-1 week with a doubleheader sweep against Bridgewater State University on the road and a split against Emmanuel College (Mass.) in their 2023 home opener. Melchionda finished the week 6-for-13 at the plate, good for a .462 batting average while notching four doubles, a home run and seven RBIs in her dominant four games this week. In the circle, Melchionda went the full seven innings in the first game of both doubleheaders for a total of 14 innings on the week while allowing just two runs (one earned) on eight hits while striking out 18 batters and walking eight. Melchionda is now 6-0 on the season with a 1.34 ERA and a 57/19 strikeout to walk ratio.

UMass Boston Softball hits the road for a pair of doubleheaders this week starting with Suffolk University on Thursday afternoon at 3:00 and 5:00 PM before opening Little East Conference play on Saturday against Keene State College at 1:00 and 3:00 PM.