GANSEVOORT, N.Y. – It didn't take Penn State Harrisburg's Kara Boyd (Alexandria, Pa. / Juniata Valley) long to get back into midseason form.  The senior captain had a stellar start to the 2013 campaign inside the circle, going 3-1 and striking out 27 opposing batters during the season's opening week.  For her efforts, she was named the North Eastern Athletic Conference's (NEAC) Softball Pitcher of the Week on Monday, Mar. 11.

Boyd started four games and threw 25 total innings while giving up just 14 hits and four earned runs during Harrisburg's Myrtle Beach, S.C. Spring Break trip.  She finished the week with a strong 1.22 ERA and came within three outs of a no-hitter in the Lions' 14-0 victory over Penn State Hazleton on Wednesday, Mar. 6.   

In her first start against Eastern on Monday, Mar. 4, Boyd threw a complete five-inning game and surrendered just two hits while striking out four batters and allowing no runs.  Against Cabrini the next day, she went the distance again and allowed no runs in addition to striking out 11 in seven innings of work.  She struck out six more and gave up just one hit to Hazleton before finally allowing her first earned run of the year in the rematch with Eastern on Thursday, Mar. 7.  Boyd went 20 straight innings without surrendering a run.

She was also strong at the plate during the same span, going 13-28 for the week and racking up a team-leading .464 batting average.  Boyd scored seven runs, recorded three doubles and recorded an RBI.