NEW ORLEANS, La. – University of South Alabama softball right-hander Farish Beard earned Sun Belt Conference Pitcher-of-the-Week honors after recording three wins last week, the league office announced on Monday.
 
Beard went 3-0 with a pair of wins over league opponent Appalachian State and a midweek victory over Conference USA foe Southern Mississippi.
 
The Fairhope, Ala., native struck out 21 to four walks and allowed only one earned run on nine hits in 18 innings. Beard gave up only two hits to Southern Miss on Wednesday and Appalachian State in game one of a Saturday doubleheader. Against the Mountaineers, Beard carried a no-hitter into the top of the fourth inning before giving up a pair, but she answered by retiring six of the final seven batters she faced.
 
"It's great to have Farish on the mound and competing," said USA head coach Becky Clark. "She has worked incredibly hard to get back on the field and contribute, so to see her putting up respectable numbers after her layoff is a boost for her and for our team."
 
Beard is currently ranked second in the NCAA in hits allowed per seven innings (2.68) and third in ERA (0.41). She is tops in the SBC in ERA, fewest hits allowed (13), fewest runs allowed (4), fewest earned runs allowed (2) and is tied for the league lead in fewest home runs allowed (1), while also ranking second in opposing batting average (.120) and third in fewest walks allowed (10).
 
The weekly honor represents the fourth this year for South Alabama in seven total voting periods, as freshman Devin Brown has been selected as Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 9 and March 2, and senior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith earned Player-of-the-Week honors on Feb. 23.
 
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