Softball Hosts Back-To-Back Conference Doubleheaders This Weekend

Scouting the Colonials
Robert Morris posts an overall record of 14-12 so far this season, with a 4-1 record in NEC action. In their latest outing, the Colonials took two games from Akron in a doubleheader at home. The team has yet to post a win on the road this season, as they are 0-3 away from home, while posting a 6-7 record at neutral sites. The team is led offensively by this week's NEC and ECAC Softball Player of the Week, sophomore outfielder Jaci Timko. Timko is batting .461 on the season with 34 hits, 14 RBI and 24 runs scored. Sophomore RHP and this week's conference Pitcher of the Week, Alexa Bryson, leads the team from the circle with a 2.99 ERA in 15 appearances with 128 strikeouts.

Scouting the Red Flash
St. Francis (PA) holds a 9-22 record thus far on the 2010 season, with a 1-5 record in conference play. The Red Flash most recently dropped both games in a doubleheader against Robert Morris on April 2. Freshman first baseman Taylor Darinelle currently leads the team offensively as she bats .333 on the year with 27 hits and 11 RBI. Sophomore RHP Megan Layne has seen 22 appearances from the circle for St. Francis this season, and posts a 3.09 ERA with 95 strikeouts.

Not So Fast...
Though the Bobcats struggled from the plate against Fairfield on April 9, they still recorded two hits and drove one across the plate in the top of the seventh inning. With Stags' sophomore Sarah Minice just one out away from a no-hitter, Quinnipiac freshman Alex Alba dropped a single into right field to break up the effort. It was her single that resulted in the Bobcats one run in the game. Alba's hit was her 22^nd of the year, as she ranks second on the team in that category.

It Takes Two
Following Alba's lead, senior Emily Bellush (Newton, Mass.) stepped to the plate in the top of the seventh and drilled her first double of the season to drive in the sole run of the game. The RBI was her tenth of the season, and she ranks second on the team in that category.

Moving Right Along
Freshman Lauren Salgado (Covina, Calif.) scored her team-leading twelfth run of the season against Fairfield on April 9. Salgado entered the game to pinch-run for Alba in the top of the seventh and was scored all the way from first base on Bellush's double in the following at-bat. The speedy California native also tops the team in stolen bases with eight, and ranks second in the NEC in the same category.

Shutting It Down
Sophomore RHP Heather Schwartzburg (Mission Viejo, Calif.) pitched 4.1 innings of relief for the Bobcats against Fairfield, and allowed no runs and just one hit in her effort from the circle. She struck out three batters in the appearance, boosting her season total to 167 on the year while posting a 0.96 ERA.

Striking First
The first inning has proven to be telling for the outcome of the Bobcats' games, as they post a 4-0 record when they score in the first inning. On the opposing end, Quinnipiac posts a 2-9 record when their opponents score in the first inning. The Bobcats also post a 10-4 winning record when they score first in the match-up, while they post a 5-12 record when their opponent scores first.

She'll Get You Out
Whether it's from behind the plate or covering first base, senior Katie Allendorfer (Glenside, Pa.) is in command of a majority of the Bobcats' defensive outs. Allendorfer leads the NEC in put-outs, tallying 260 on the year. The senior also ranks amongst conference catchers in runners caught stealing, as she has thrown out ten attempted steals this season.

It Really is the Hot Corner
Senior third baseman Kelly Wall (Westport, Conn.) has started all 31 games this season at the hot corner, and seen a lot of hits come her way. Wall ranks third in the conference in defensive assists, as she has helped throw out 71 batters thus far on the year.