Missouri’s Paige Lowary earns SEC weekly softball honor

For the second time this season, Missouri freshman pitcher Paige Lowary earned a weekly award from the SEC office.

Lowary was chosen as the SEC co-freshman of the week Monday along with Florida infielder Nicole DeWitt after the helping the Tigers to four wins, including two against No. 3 LSU last weekend at University Field in Columbia.

Lowary, a native of Dallas Center, Iowa, went 3-0 with a 0.67 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 21 innings during four appearances for MU, which is ranked No. 15 and extended its win streak to 10 games last week.

She had nine strikeouts Saturday in the series opener against LSU, twirling a four-hitter in a 7-2 win.

Lowary added two perfect frames in Sunday’s second game of the series, a 10-2 victory, after coming on relief of sophomore Tori Finucane.

Lowary tossed five scoreless innings Wednesday, striking out seven and allowing only two hits in a 10-2 win against Iowa after Finucane left with a leg injury following a collision in foul territory.

Returning to the circle Thursday, Lowary overmatched Missouri State for her first career complete-game shutout in a 6-0 win.

Lowary also was the SEC pitcher of the week in February.

Florida’s Kelsey Stewart, a junior second baseman from Maize High School in Wichita, was chosen as the SEC player of the week.

This story was originally published April 27, 2015 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Missouri’s Paige Lowary earns SEC weekly softball honor."