April 6, 2010

Softball Travels To Fairfield For Make-Up Game Wednesday

Rain Check
The Quinnipiac University softball team will head down the highway to Fairfield University Wednesday afternoon to take on Fairfield University in a make-up game. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. from Alumni Softball Field on the Fairfield campus. In their last outing, the Bobcats swept Bryant in a Northeast Conference doubleheader on April 3.

Scouting the Stags
Fairfield currently posts a 12-13 overall record on the season, with a 1-3 record at home. The Stags most recently defeated Yale, 3-1, at home on Mar. 31. Senior outfielder Dani Griswold leads the team offensively, as she posts a .385 batting average through 25 games played with 30 hits and 16 runs. Junior RHP Sarah Minice has seen the most time throwing from the circle for Fairfield, as she records a 3.50 ERA on the year with 84 strikeouts.

WALLk On
Senior third baseman Kelly Wall (Westport, Conn.) came up big for the Bobcats in game one against Bryant on April 3. After the two teams battled through 8.5 scoreless innings, Wall stepped to the plate and smacked the first pitch she saw deep into left field for the walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning. The homer was her second of the season.

Stride it Out
Senior Katie Allendorfer (Glenside, Pa.) continued her strong offensive contribution in game two against Bryant. After tallying five RBI against Siena in the day previous, Allendorfer went 3-for-4 from the plate in the second game against the Bulldogs, and drove in three runs in the 6-1 victory. After driving in the first Bobcat run in the bottom of the third inning, the senior also hit a two-RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure the five-run win. Allendorfer currently ranks third in the NEC in RBI with 21.

Winning Angle
Senior center fielder Angela Casella (Oceanside, N.Y.) also drove in multiple runs for the Bobcats against Bryant in game two of the day. Casella went 2-for-3 from the plate, tallying a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the Bobcats up 4-1. It was Casella's fourth double of the season.

Double-W
Sophomore RHP Heather Schwartzburg (Mission Viejo, Calif.) saw time on the mound in both games against Bryant on Saturday. In game one against the Bulldogs, Schwartzburg entered in the middle of the fifth inning and pitched through to the top of the ninth before Wall's walk-off homerun, earning the win in 3.2 innings pitched. The sophomore went on to pitch the complete second game, to finish the day with her ninth and tenth wins of the season. She finished the day earning just one run on five hits, striking out 15 on the day.

Designated Duffy
Sophomore Mina Duffy (Piedmont, Calif.) started her first home game for the Bobcats in the second game against Bryant, and gave a solid performance for the team both in the field and behind the plate. Duffy came up with two key plays in right field, including the final out of the game when she dove to catch a fly ball hit by the leadoff batter, Laura Bowen. Duffy also drew two walks on the day and scored two of the Bobcats six runs.

Flemington Flash
Junior infielder Joelle Jacobsen (Flemington, N.J.) also scored two runs for the Bobcats in the 6-1 victory against Bryant on April 3. Jacobsen went tallied a single and a walk on the day, and also picked up two stolen bases. This season, the junior posts a .381 on-base percentage and is 3-for-4 on stolen base attempts. She also currently ranks third on the team in batting average, as she bats .278 on the year.

Field Study
After a successful weekend in conference play, the Bobcats improved to rank second in team fielding in the Northeast Conference. In 30 games played, the Bobcats post a .961 fielding percentage, second only to Sacred Heart's .970 mark through 25 games played. The team ranks second in put outs, with 616 on the year, just one behind Central Connecticut and Long Island who are tied for first with 617 put outs.

Fever Pitch
The Bobcats pitching staff, led by Schwartzburg, ranks third in the conference in team ERA, with a 2.69 on the year. Led by Schwartzburg's 164 strikeouts, the team ranks first in that category, compiling a team total of 207 K's in 2010. The closest team to that tally is Robert Morris, who has combined for 168 strikeouts this season.

National Treasure
Schwartzburg is not only ranking atop the conference in pitching categories, but she's also ranking amongst the top pitchers in the nation. The sophomore ranks 9th nationally in ERA (0.99), while the nation's leader posts a 0.62 ERA on the year. Schwartzburg also ranks 28th nationally in strikeouts with 164 on the year.