CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After turning in her seventh career complete game shutout to defeat USC Upstate and clinch the #4 seed in the upcoming Big South Conference Championship Tournament, senior Peyton Duncan of the Presbyterian College softball team has been named the league's Pitcher of the Week for the third time this year.

Joining Radford's Morgan Cooper as the only two pitchers in the conference to win this award three times in 2026, Duncan becomes the first PC player since Jenna Greene six years ago to claim this honor thrice.

The North Carolina native was sensational in Game One at Upstate, never letting anyone advance past second base and allowing just one hit in her last 15 at-bats.

Due to her stinginess in the circle, Presbyterian has qualified for the Big South bracket and will break a four-year postseason drought this Wednesday at 5:00 versus Gardner-Webb in Spartanburg.






 
TRIFECTA

 
- Duncan was also voted as the league's Pitcher of the Week back on February 10 and April 20, going into the conference tournament with a very impressive streak of 17 straight innings with no earned runs given up against divisional opponents.

- In her three most recent starts against conference foes, Peyton has thrown 18.2 innings with zero earned runs, five walks, and 14 strikeouts. She issued just one free pass and four K's in the Upstate triumph.

- Duncan has seen the most usage of any PC pitcher this year (128 innings), aiding the Scotsmen to a 4.48 staff ERA which ranks third in the Big South.

- As a senior, Duncan ranks fifth in the conference with 12 individual wins. Her 87 strikeouts are the sixth-most in the league and she leads the roster with 10 complete games since February.

- During a road series win over Gardner-Webb three weeks ago, Duncan became the fourth pitcher in school history to surpass 300 career strikeouts while also eclipsing 30 personal victories. She ranks fourth in the PC record book for both categories (313 and 33, respectively).


 
PLENTY OF PLAUDITS
 

- This is the eighth time in 2026 that a Presbyterian player has been chosen for a Big South weekly award. That is just two shy of the program's single-season record which was accomplished back in 2022.

- Duncan and Greene (who graduated in 2024) have combined for 10 Pitcher of the Week wins under the direction of head coach David Williams.

- Six of PC's eight weekly award winners this spring have occurred after the calendar flipped to April. That includes Hali Duke's two Freshman of the Week selections and one Player of the Week pickup as well.


 
A PEEK AT THE POSTSEASON

 
- The Blue Hose will kick off the Big South tournament in just over 48 hours against G-W, starting the double-elimination bracket at USC Upstate's Cyrill Stadium.

- Should PC defeat the Runnin' Bulldogs in two days, they will turn their attention to the #1 seed Winthrop on Thursday at approximately 2:30. If Gardner-Webb prevails, then Presby will still play on Thursday, albeit in an elimination-game opposite either Upstate or Radford.

- It will be the third all-time meeting between Presbyterian and G-W in the postseason and their first playoff encounter since 2012. PC is 8-14 in their conference tournament history since joining the D-I ranks in the late 2000's.