ROME, Ga. – For the second time in as many weeks and the first time in program history, Salem softball's Isabella Morales was named USA South Conference Rookie Pitcher of the Week in an announcement from the league office on Monday afternoon.

Morales, who also earned the distinction on from the league office on February 19th, becomes the first player in program history to claim the distinction from the USA South Conference in consecutive weeks. Historically, she joins Morgan Coleman (2014), Lauryn Smith (2016) and Brianna Morris (2016), who earned Great South Conference Pitcher of the Week honors, as the only pitchers in Salem softball history to claim a weekly award multiple times in the same campaign.

Morales made three starts over the course of the week and posted a 1-2 record along with 14 strikeouts.

The Oak Park, Illinois, native opened the week with a four-strikeout performance at Livingstone, surrendering just three earned runs along the way. She faced 25 Blue Bear hitters and tallied 53 strikes in 87 pitches.

In her second appearance of the week, on the road at St. Andrews, Morales recorded seven strikeouts in relief. The seven strikeouts tied a single-game season-high for the Salem first-year, who also tallied seven in a clash with Carolina University on February 17th. In five innings against the Knights, Morales scattered five hits and surrendered three runs (two earned runs) while issuing just one walk.

Morales' week came to a close against Wesleyan (Ga.), where she had three strikeouts over 3.1 innings of work. She came through with strikeouts for the Spirits in the first, second and fourth innings.