March 26, 2010 Ivy League Visitors
The Quinnipiac University softball team will play host to Harvard University on Saturday, Mar. 27 in a non-conference game at the Quinnipiac Softball Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the third Ivy League match-up for the Bobcats this season. The team is 1-1 against Ivy League opponents, as they split with Yale last weekend in the Stony Brook Invitational.

Scouting the Crimson
Harvard currently posts a 4-13 overall record this season, and most recently lost to Boston University, 14-8, in their home opener on Mar. 25. Senior outfielder Jennifer Francis leads the team offensively, batting .286 on the year with 12 hits and nine RBI. Sophomore RHP Rachel Brown has seen 12 appearances from the circle for the Crimson this season and holds a 2.04 ERA through 55 innings with 76 strikeouts.

Pitching Prize
Bobcats' sophomore pitcher Heather Schwartzburg (Mission Viejo, Calif.) picked up her second consecutive weekly award from the Northeast Conference this week. Schwartzburg was named the Akadema/Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season. It is the first time this season an NEC softball player earned back-to-back weekly awards, and it's the second time Schwartzburg has done so in her career. It is the fourth career Pitcher of the Week award for the sophomore.

Schwartz's Stats
In the Stony Brook Invitational, Schwartzburg hit a season milestone as she struck out her 100^th batter of the year against tournament-host Stony Brook on Mar. 19. Coming into the game, the sophomore had 99 K's on the year and fanned 11 batters on the day to pass the 100 mark. Schwartzburg had three appearances in the Stony Brook Invitational, throwing two complete games with one shutout. Through 17 innings pitched, Schwartzburg struck out 27 batters and held her opponents to a .094 batting average.

The Stats Are In
Just this week, the NCAA posted the national statistics and rankings for Division I softball. The Bobcats have landed on several national rankings, with Schwartzburg leading the way as she ranks in eight different categories. The sophomore ranks 19^th nationally in ERA (0.99), ranks 21^st in strikeouts per seven innings (10.4), is listed 23^rd in hits allowed per game (4.04) and ranks 30^th in strikeouts (126). Senior Kelly Wall (Westport, Conn.) also ranks 40^th in sacrifice hits per game (0.26).

Home Run Hitters
Bobcat seniors Katie Allendorfer (Glenside, Pa.) and Emily Bellush (Newton, Mass.) each hit their second homerun of the season against Yale in the Stony Brook Invitational last weekend. Bellush smacked a solo-shot to center to tie the Bulldogs in the seventh inning on Mar. 19 to force extra innings. Allendorfer hit hers in the Mar. 21 match-up with Yale, smacking a single-run homer to center to pick up the first Quinnipiac run of the day.

Extra Extra!
The Bobcats picked up their second win of the year in extra innings when they defeated Yale in nine innings on Mar. 19. Senior Kim Le Bel drove in the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the inning. Le Bel singled to third base to bring in junior Julie Sini (Elgin, Tex.) from third for the instant victory. Quinnipiac is 2-1 in extra inning situations this season.

Sharing the Wealth
In addition to Schwartzburg picking up a win in the Stony Brook Invitational, Bellush and freshman RHP Alex Alba (Sylmar, Calif.) also earned W's in the weekend tournament. Bellush pitched all nine innings against the Bulldogs on Mar. 19, earning her second win of the season. The senior allowed one run on five hits in 33 batters faced. Alba pitched the complete game in her second win as well, earning two runs on six hits and striking out one on the day.

Just Takes One
Wall came through for the Bobcats in the clutch against Holy Cross on Mar. 20. After battling through five scoreless innings, Quinnipiac got a runner on third through a single, error and sacrifice bunt. In the following play, Wall stepped to the plate and singled down the left field line to score the runner from third and help the team to the 1-0 victory over the Crusaders.