After the SIU softball season came to a close Sunday with the Salukis in fifth place in the conference, two seniors were confirmed as the best in separate Missouri Valley Conference categories.

Center fielder Kalyn Harker and pitcher Katie Bertelsen finished atop the league leaders in batting average and wins respectively. 

Harker, who has a career batting average of .308 and a season average of .355, finished No. 1 in the Valley with a .466 batting average in conference games. She is the third player in program history to lead the league in batting average. Lauren Haas and Krystal Stein were the others in 2008 and 2005 respectively. 

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Harker also finished the season with a team-high 36 runs, 50 hits and 11 doubles. 

Bertelsen, who finished tied for the league lead with 13 wins with Northern Iowa junior Chelsea Ross, is the sixth SIU player to lead the MVC in conference wins. The last was Danielle Glosson who had 16 in 2010. 

She finished the year with a 17-15 record, 4.21 ERA and pitched 22 complete games allowing 221 hits and 138 runs. She struck out 89 while walking 82. 

Brent Meske can be reached at [email protected] or at 536-3311 ext. 269.