ANNVILLE, Pa. – After leading the Manhattanville softball team to a pair of key conference victories on Sunday against Wilkes, junior Alyssa Taylor (Craik, Sask./Craik) was named the Freedom Conference Pitcher of the Week for the first time this season, the conference office announced on Monday afternoon.

The junior righthander picked up her third career Freedom weekly honor after a good week both in the circle and at the plate for Manhattanville, going 2-0 with a 2.39 ERA in four appearances while also hitting .333 with a pair of homers in nine at-bats.

She started off the week with a pair of relief appearances against NJAC power Kean on Wednesday, striking out four in four innings out of the bullpen. But she returned to the starting circle on Sunday and made a big impact in a key Freedom twinbill against the Colonels, allowing just one run on nine hits in 10.0 innings to earn a pair of wins.

She engaged in a great pitchers' duel in Sunday's first game, a 1-0 Valiant win, scattering four hits and striking out three in a complete-game shutout, her second of the year and third of her career. In game two, she got the start and allowed one run on five hits in three innings to earn the victory, while also going 2 for 2 at the plate with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored.

Taylor has been the team's top starter in the circle so far this year, posting a 3-4 record with a team-best 2.66 ERA in 44.2 innings (13 appearances) in 2012, including a team-leading 30 strikeouts. She also has found success at the plate, ranking third on the team with a .297 batting average to go with two homers and a .541 slugging percentage.

Taylor and Manhattanville (9-10, 5-1 Freedom) will travel to SUNY New Paltz for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at 3 p.m. before returning home for a key Freedom Conference twinbill versus FDU-Florham on Friday beginning at noon.