IRVINE, Calif. – A proven double threat on both the mound and at the plate, Concordia University Irvine freshman softball player Erika Morris is our latest Newport Rib Company Eagle of the Week.

The Laguna Hills, Calif. native posted back-to-back shutouts in her first two starts during No. 14 CUI softball's 11-game road trip through Northern California.  On that trip, Morris helped the Eagles sweep Notre Dame de Namur by tossing 13 shutout innings against the Argos.  Eight of those scoreless frames came in a 4-0 extra-inning victory in which Morris also hit a clutch three-run homer to help her own cause in the top of the eighth.

In the series finale against NDNU, Morris smacked a triple, a double and scored a run while also tossing a one-hitter over five frames. 

The Green and Gold have won in each of her last six appearances on the mound and Morris owns a sparkling 1.46 ERA in 28.2 innings pitched over that span.

Morris also crushed three homers and collected 9 RBI in a span of five games - with two of those home runs coming in a win over Holy Names. She batted .318 during the entire road trip (7-for-22) while also drawing five walks and getting hit by a pitch.  Her on-base percentage was a sterling .464 (13-for-28).

Morris and the Eagles are currently on an 11-game winning streak and own a 40-6 overall record on the season.  The first-place Eagles also enter the final week of the regular season with an impressive 26-3 PacWest Conference record.  CUI head coach Crystal Rosenthal recently earned career win No. 500 in the same game that fellow pitcher Callie Nunes tossed her fourth no-hitter of the season.

Their upcoming contests include a twin bill at Biola on Thursday, April 25 before a Senior Day doubleheader back at home on Saturday, April 27.

The Eagles will host Azusa Pacific on Senior Day starting at 12 p.m. and it will also be a Code Yellow for both CUI softball and baseball teams that afternoon.  There will be free food and giveaways as well as free Code Yellow t-shirts starting at 10:30 a.m. near the practice field between the softball and baseball fields.

For the full CUI softball schedule, click here.