ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Drake softball's Abby Martin continued her strong finish to the 2024 season with another MVC honor. The infielder followed last week's Newcomer of the Week award with an even higher recognition as the MVC Player of the Week, the league announced today.
 
Martin tallied six hits, hit .400, slugged .867 and smashed two home runs across four games last week. She gave the Bulldogs a temporary lead against Iowa State on Wednesday when she hit a clutch three-run homer in the fourth inning. The Lamoni, Iowa native carried her hot bat into the weekend series against Belmont and began the series going 1/3 at the plate in game one. Martin caught fire in game two, going 2/4 at the dish with a double and an RBI, leading Drake in a 9-3 rout of Belmont. With the final regular season series on the line, she tied the contest at five runs apiece with a three-run shot in the bottom of the third inning. The game ended up going into extra innings, where Martin again came through with a single that drove in the walk-off run for a 6-5 Drake triumph.
 
Martin has a .294 batting average this season with three homers and is fourth among Drake starters in OPS with an .838 mark.
 
Martin and the Bulldogs will head to Normal, Ill. tomorrow for the 2024 MVC Tournament.