NIACC's Lienhard earns ICCAC weekly honors

MASON CITY - NIACC sophomore Laken Lienhard was selected as the ICCAC Division II player/pitcher of the week for the week of April 3-9.

It is the third time in the 2022-23 school year that Lienhard has received the league's weekly honor. She was the league's women's wrestler of the week for the week of Nov. 7-13 and was the league's pitcher of the week for the week of Feb. 20-26.

It is the sixth time this season that a NIACC player has earned the league's pitcher or player of the week this season.

Shortstop Katy Olive was the player of the week for the week of March 6-12, Lienhard (pitcher) and Ravyn Krachey (player) won the award for the week of Feb. 20-26 and Brynn Stalberger (pitcher) and Emily Jones (player) won the award for the week of Jan. 30-Feb. 5.

For the week of April 3-9, Lienhard was 13 of 21 (.619) with five doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs.

Lienhard hit a walk-off home run in a 10-9 victory over Iowa Central in the second game of a doubleheader on April 3. She also collected her 100th career hit in the first game of the doubleheader on April 3 against the Tritons.

As a pitcher, the right-hander, who is 13-2, appeared in four games and gained the win in all four games. In 19 innings of work, she allowed five earned runs on 15 hits with 18 strikeouts.

Lienhard tossed her first career no-hitter against Northeast CC in an 8-0 win in second game of a doubleheader on April 8. She struck out five and walked two in the six-inning victory for her sixth shutout of the season and eighth of her career.

Lienhard is hitting .500 with 51 hits, 18 doubles and nine home runs. She has a 2.09 earned run average with 80 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings of work.

No. 17 (NJCAA Division II) NIACC (26-8 overall, 10-2 in the ICCAC) returns to action Friday and Saturday at home against Ellsworth in a four-game series.