Valparaiso sophomore Sara Strickland has been named the Horizon League Softball Batter of the Week, while UIC sophomore Ashley Hewett has earned Pitcher of the Week honors for the week ending May 2.

Valparaiso University broke open a close game against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee baseball team with two big innings en route to a 17-3 victory Friday afternoon. The Crusaders (18-22, 6-3 Horizon) snapped the Panthers (18-19, 7-6 Horizon) winning streak at Henry Aaron Field at 18 games, scoring six runs in the fourth inning and seven more in the sixth to win going away. The Panthers regrouped from a slow start to tie the game, 2-2, with a pair of runs in the third inning. Junior Cole Kraft doubled, senior Shaun Wegner singled and senior Ben Long followed with a line drive to right that plated both of them and made it a new game.

A nine-run third inning proved to be the difference as the Wright State softball team completed a Horizon League series sweep of Valparaiso with a 10-5 decision in the series finale Wednesday afternoon at the WSU Softball Field.

Valparaiso hosted the inaugural SouthShore Showdown on Wednesday evening at U. S. Steel Yard in Gary, Ind., but it was Notre Dame that came away with an 8-1 victory over the Crusaders to spoil the festivities.

Detroit senior Pjotrs Necajevs and UIC sophomore Mariya Kovaleva were recognized as the 2010 Horizon League Men's and Women's Tennis Players of the Year for the second straight season on Friday as the League announced this year's All-League teams and specialty award winners at a championship banquet.

The Wright State baseball team stretched its double-digit scoring streak to five Friday afternoon as the Raiders swept Valparaiso at Emory G. Bauer Field, winning 11-1 and 10-4 to move into first place in the Horizon League standings.

Wright State used big innings in both games of Friday's doubleheader to win a pair of games against Valparaiso by the scores of 11-1 and 10-4 at Emory G. Bauer Field.

Wright State sophomore Garrett Gray and Valparaiso junior Bryce Shafer have been named Horizon League Baseball Players of the Week for the period of April 12-18. Shafer registers his fourth career weekly honor from the League office, while Gray notches his first.

Valparaiso's women's tennis team wrapped up its 2010 season on Sunday afternoon, suffering a 7-0 loss to Butler at the Valpo Tennis Complex.

CHICAGO - A seemingly innocuous insurance run in the sixth would be the difference in the UIC softball team's 4-3 win over Valparaiso amidst a furious seventh-inning rally to close out the series on Sunday afternoon.