BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Behind a pair of shutouts and tossing Auburn softball's first no-hitter in Southeastern Conference play in over 17 years, junior Maddie Penta was selected the SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.
Penta shares the award with Alabama's Montana Fouts. Penta has won seven SEC weekly honors over her career. She has earned SEC Pitcher of the Week three times this season and has won the award four times in her career. Penta is the first Auburn Tiger to be named SEC Pitcher of the Week three times in the same season since Anna Thompson in 2010.
The Chesapeake City, Maryland, native earned a pair of shutout wins to secure Auburn's series victory at South Carolina, marking the first time Auburn has won back-to-back SEC road series since 2019.
Penta did not allow a run to score in her 12.0 innings of work against the Gamecocks. Penta scattered four hits and five walks while striking out 19. The right-hander held opponents to a .103 average at the plate.
In Sunday's finale, Penta no-hit South Carolina to become the first Auburn pitcher to toss a no-hitter in SEC play since Holly Currie on May 6, 2006. It was also just the third no-hitter in program history against a conference opponent. Penta now has four individual no-hitters to her credit.
Five of Penta's seven shutouts this season have come in conference play, tying her for the second most in a single season since Currie in 2005.
One of the top arms in the conference, Penta leads the SEC in wins (23), while ranking second in earned run average (0.96), inning pitched (182.0) and strikeouts (261) and third in shutouts (7).
Penta and the Tigers conclude the regular season, hosting Mississippi State at Jane B. Moore Field this weekend. Friday's opener is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT and is available on the SEC Network+.