This post was written by Hatchet reporter Sean Hurd.
The Colonials continued to make noise in the Atlantic 10, due in part to the electric bats of senior Autumn Taylor and sophomore Victoria Valos.
Taylor, the team’s centerfielder, was named Atlantic 10 Softball Player of the Week Monday, making her the second straight Colonial to win the award in these past weeks after shortstop Victoria Valos earned the nod last week.
Valos also was recognized for her offensive efforts by the website College Sports Madness Monday, when they dubbed her the A-10 Player of the Week for the second straight week.
The last and only other time two Colonials have been recognized as Player of the Week in the same season was in 2008, when alumni outfielders Jackie Yaniga and Katie Miller accomplished the feat.
Taylor helped lead GW to a 4-0 weekend, which included the first ever program victory over Massachusetts, last year’s A-10 champions. The perfect weekend also extended the Colonials’ record-breaking win streak to an impressive 11 games.
Taylor also received A-10 Player of the week honors last April. She joins Jackie Yaniga as the only Colonials’ players to be recognized twice.
Taylor batted .538 (7-for-13) last week, carried a slugging percentage of 1.000, and drove in seven runs. Sbe also walked three times, and finished the week with an on-base percentage of .625. On the season Taylor is batting .343 with six home runs and 35 RBIs.
Valos was also instrumental to Colonials’ success this past weekend. Against UMass and Rhode Island, Valos batted .500 (7-for-14) with seven RBIs and six runs scored. Valos finished the week with a slugging percentage of .929, and brought her season home run total to 11, tying the season school record.
Valos on the season leads the Colonials with a .376 batting average, a .761 slugging percentage and a school-record 45 RBIs. She ranks second in the A-10 in home runs and RBIs, third in slugging percentage and fourth in runs scored.
Taylor, Valos and the streaking Colonials return to action on Wednesday when they visit a struggling La Salle team for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
