Softball Opens Spring Break At UC Riverside Tournament This Weekend
Live
Stats
UC
Riverside Tournament Homepage
Quinnipiac
Softball Homepage
Quinnipiac
Softball Schedule
NEC Softball Homepage
Amy S. Harrison Classic – March 9-11
Amy S. Harrison Field – Riverside
Calif.
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (7-2, 0-0 NEC)
Loyola Marymount University Lions (13-9, PCSC)
Saint Joseph’s University Hawks (5-8, 0-0 A-10)
University of California Riverside Highlanders (10-12, 0-0 Big
West)
UC Riverside Tournament Schedule
March 9, 2012
Quinnipiac vs. Loyola Marymount – 2:30 p.m.
(EST)
March 10, 2012
Quinnipiac vs. Saint Joseph’s – 2:30 p.m. (EST)
Quinnipiac at UC Riverside – 5:00 p.m. (EST)
March 11, 2012
Quinnipiac at UC Riverside – 12:00 p.m. (EST)
QU Competes At UC Riverside
This Weekend
The Quinnipiac University softball team (7-2, 0-0 NEC)
travels to UC Riverside to compete in the Amy S. Harrison Classic
this weekend. The Bobcats will first play Loyola Marymount (13-9,
0-0 PCSC) on Friday, March 9 at 2:30 p.m., followed by Saint
Joseph’s (5-8, 0-0 A-10) on Saturday, March 10 at 2:30 p.m.
QU will also face tournament host UC Riverside (10-12, 0-0 Big
West) twice, on Saturday at 2:30 and Sunday, March 11 at Noon. All
games will be held at the Amy S. Harrison Field in Riverside,
Calif.
Multimedia
Live stats for this weekend’s tournament games will
be available by clicking on the appropriate links of the Quinnipiac
softball schedule at www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com. Live stats will be
made offered by the UC Riverside Sports Information department.
A Look At Loyola Marymount
Loyola Marymount enters the weekend at 13-9 overall, after
competing in three tournaments at the start of its 2012 campaign.
The Lions have also played five games at home, posting a 3-2 mark
at Smith Field. LMU is led by Sam Fischer, who’s already
earned four-consecutive Pacific Coast Softball Conference Player of
the Week honors in her senior season. Fischer currently paces the
Lions with a .547 batting average, 35 hits, 34 RBI, and 24 runs.
The Lions’ starting shortstop has also contributed a
team-high nine doubles and 12 homeruns while collecting 82 total
bases in only 22 appearances. Molly Medeiros leads LMU from within
the circle as she holds a 9-4 mark on the year and a team-leading
2.28 ERA. The Lions have high expectations this season after being
picked to finish first in the 2012 PCSC preseason coaches’
poll.
Scouting Saint
Joseph’s
After participating in three non-conference tournaments
this year, the Hawks hold a 5-8 overall record, including a 2-5
mark in neutral contests. Most recently, Saint Joseph’s
dropped a game to UC Riverside, 2-1, on March 6. Earlier in the
season, senior pitcher Erin Gallagher set a program record for
career strikeouts. Gallagher currently boosts a 2.15 ERA, while
Lauren Pembleton’s 1.29 ERA leads the team. Based on
SJU’s stats as of March 5, Rochelle Christman paces Saint
Joseph’s with a .303 batting average, 18 total bases and 10
hits. Lauren Rendon’s six RBI rank first amongst the Hawks,
while Moran Bernadette has scored a team-high seven runs on the
year.
Reviewing UC Riverside
The University of California Riverside softball team
currently stands at 10-12 on the year, sporting nine wins and three
losses at home, with a 1-8 mark in neutral games this season.
In their most recent outing, the Highlanders swept a doubleheader
against Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday, March 7. UC Riverside is led
by Alexis Pickett’s .397 batting average and 23 hits, while
Brittany Keeney posts a team-high 16 runs, while Ariel Shore is
10-for-11 in stolen base attempts. Kayla White’s 21 RBI and
38 total-bases rank first amongst the Highlanders. Jordyn McDonald
has earned six wins this year from the mound. McDonald leads the
team with a 4.22 ERA, while she’s held opponents to a .263
batting average.
Last Time Out
Quinnipiac competed at the University of South Florida
Under Armour Invitational last weekend where the Bobcats went 3-2
to improve their overall record to 7-2. QU picked up wins over
Florida Gulf Coast, 1-0, Bowling Green State, 7-4 and Miami (Ohio),
3-2. The Bobcats’ Alex Alba batted .500 as she went 7-for-14
on the weekend. Alba also had a team-best three doubles and
collected 10 total bases. Senior catcher Ashley Heiberger led QU
with four runs, while freshman Jordan Paolucci contributed three
RBI. Paolucci and Heiberger each hit a homerun at the USF
Tournament. Senior Heather Schwartzburg also earned two wins,
pitching two complete games, one lasting 10
innings.
A Great Start
The Bobcats went undefeated (4-0) in its opening weekend
at the Longwood Spring Classic on Feb. 25-26. QU swept each of its
opponents, including Iona and Saint Peter’s, in a pair of
non-conference games. Quinnipiac defeated Iona, 2-0 and 4-3, and
Saint Peter’s 14-1 in a five-inning contest and 11-3 in six
innings.
NEC Weekly Winner
Senior pitcher Heather Schwartzburg was named Northeast
Conference Pitcher of the Week after leading the Bobcats at the USF
Under Armour Invite last weekend. Schwartzburg earned two wins,
making three appearances and two starts, while pitching 17.2
innings. She collected 18 strikeouts as she held batters to .105 at
the plate. Schwartzburg only allowed two unearned runs at the
tourney. The weekly league accolade is Heather’s first of the
2012 season.
Game Winner
Freshman Nikki Barba scored the game-winning run in the
Bobcats’ 1-0 win over Florida Gulf Coast in the bottom of the
seventh inning. Barba currently leads all QU freshmen with a .240
batting average, six hits and five runs scored.
Extra Innings
Quinnipiac played Miami (Ohio) in 10 innings, the most QU
has played in a single game this season. The Bobcats earned a 3-2
victory as senior Christy Cabrera singled to drive in Kortney
Kesses for the game-winning run in the top of the
10th.
What’s Ahead For The
Bobcats
Quinnipiac continues play in California as it faces San
Diego State on Tuesday, March 13 and San Diego on Wednesday, March
14. Both games will be played at 9 p.m. (EST). The Bobcats will
then compete at the San Diego State University Classic on March
16-18. After playing Harvard on Thursday, March 22, QU opens league
play with a doubleheader at Mount St. Mary’s on March 24.
Contact: Lindsay Oliveri, lmoliveri@quinnipiac.edu