April 12, 2012

Live Stats vs. Wagner
Live Audio vs. Wagner
Quinnipiac Softball Homepage
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Northeast Conference Standings 
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Quinnipiac University Bobcats (19-11, 6-4 NEC) vs.
Wagner College Seahawks (14-26, 3-7 NEC)
Saturday, April 14, 2012 – 1 p.m. (DH)
QU Softball Field – Hamden, Conn.

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (19-11, 6-4 NEC) at
Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights (21-12, 5-5 NEC)
Sunday, April 15, 2012 – 12 p.m. (DH)
FDU Softball Field – Hackensack, N.J.

Bobcats Continue NEC Play This Weekend
The Quinnipiac University softball team (19-11, 6-4 NEC) will take on Northeast Conference opponents Wagner College (14-26, 3-7 NEC) and Fairleigh Dickinson University (21-12, 5-5 NEC) this weekend. The Bobcats will host the Wagner Seahawks on Saturday, April 14 in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at the QU Softball Field in Hamden, Conn. QU will then travel to play the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on Sunday, April 15 in a pair of games at Noon at the FDU Softball Field in Hackensack, N.J.

Multimedia
Live stats and audio will be available for Saturday’s doubleheader against Wagner. Fans can tune in by clicking on the appropriate links of the Quinnipiac softball schedule on the Official Website of Quinnipiac Athletics, www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com.

Scouting Wagner
Wagner enters Saturday at 21-12 overall and 5-5 in league action. The Seahawks have won their last four straight games, sweeping Saint Peter’s and Yale in non-conference, weekday doubleheaders. Brittany Huss leads the Seahawks with a .356 batting average, , 42 hits and .449 on-base percentage. Kelsey Parker, who is 6-for-7 in stolen bases, paces Wagner with a .540 slugging percentage and 28 RBI while batting .325 on the year. Kristen Matteoni currently ranks first in runs scored (28). Samantha Bedker has won six games for Wagner from within the circle, while Olivia Zwick posts a team-high 3.01 ERA. Bedker has recorded a team-leading 58 strikeouts in 107 innings pitched.

All-Time Against The Seahawks
Quinnipiac leads the all-time Division I series with Wagner, 17-10, dating back to 1999. Last season, the Bobcats split a pair of NEC games on the road on April 9, 2011. After falling, 4-3, in 15 innings, QU came back and won, 11-1, in the second outing.

The Facts On Fairleigh Dickinson
Fairleigh Dickinson currently stands at 21-12 on the year and 5-5 in the conference. Prior to hosting Quinnipiac on Sunday, the Knights will host Saint Peter’s in a non-conference match-up on Thursday, April 12, before playing Monmouth in a NEC twinbill on Saturday, April 14. The Knights are currently led by Bradac’s .432 batting average, 48 hits, 31 RBI and six homeruns. Bradac also holds a team-high .712 slugging percentage and .480 on-base percentage. Zamudio leads Fairleigh Dickinson with 25 runs scored and three stolen bases. Knights’ starting pitchers Reiner and Bradac have led FDU from within the circle this season. Together, Reiner has won 12 games and holds a team-high ERA (1.66) with 89 strikeouts in 101 innings pitched.

All-Time Against The Knights
The Bobcats hold an all-time Division-I record of 19-2 with Fairleigh Dickinson since the 1999 season. Last year, Quinnipiac swept the Knights, 3-2, and 5-3 on April 26, 2011.

Last Time Out
In its most recent outing, Quinnipiac came from behind to defeat Big East foe Connecticut, 5-4, in a non-conference contest on Wednesday, April 11 at the QU Softball Field. Down 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Bobcats’ junior Alex Alba hit the game-tying double and went on to score the game-winning run in the same inning. Sophomore Katie Alfiere also went 2-for-3 with two runs scored against UConn. Senior Heather Schwartzburg improved to 12-3 on the year as she pitched a complete game against the Huskies, striking out six batters.

Heating Up At Home
With its 5-4 win over UConn, the Bobcats stay undefeated at home, boasting a 4-0 record at the QU Softball Field this season. Quinnipiac opened play in Hamden, Conn. with a sweep of NEC foe Sacred Heart, 12-7 and 5-4, on April 1. The Bobcats followed the wins with a 2-0 non-conference victory against Fairfield on April 4.

RPI Rankings
Quinnipiac moved ahead to 119^th in the NCAA Softball RPI Rankings, after standing in the 121^st slot last week. The Bobcats now leads all Northeast Conference schools in the rankings.

Picture-perfect Pitching
The Bobcats lead the Northeast Conference in several pitching categories. Together, Quinnipiac paces the league in team ERA (2.68) and opposing batting average (.229), while ranking third amongst conference opponents in wins (19) and batters struck out (170). QU also paces the league in hits allowed (169), runs allowed (92) and earned runs allowed (76).

Defensive Threats
Quinnipiac has maintained a near-perfect fielding percentage throughout the 2012 season. The Bobcats currently pace the NEC with a .973 fielding percentage.

Bobcats Steal Bases
QU stand third in the conference rankings in stolen bases with 25 on the year. The Bobcats’ efforts are led by junior Lauren Salgado and senior Ashley Heiberger’s combined nine stolen bases.

Keep It Up Alba
Junior Alex Alba currently leads the Bobcats and ranks fourth in the NEC in slugging percentage at .598. Alba’s 10 doubles also stands fourth in the league.

Leading The League
Senior Heather Schwartzburg has guided the Bobcats to 12 wins this season from within the circle. She ranks second in the conference in ERA (1.56) and opposing batting average (.178), while her 111.2 innings pitch stands fifth amongst league pitchers. Schwartzburg is closing down on 1,000 career strikeouts with 125 on the year and 882 in four seasons.

Heiberger Makes It Happen
Senior catcher Ashley Heiberger has thrown out a conference-best 12 runners this season.

What’s Ahead For The Bobcats
Quinnipiac returns to action when it plays a pair of non-league games at Manhattan on Wednesday, April 18 at 2 p.m. The doubleheader was originally scheduled in late February and postponed due to poor weather conditions. The Bobcats will then take on Fairfield on Thursday, April 19 at 3:30 p.m.

Contact: Lindsay Oliveri, lmoliveri@quinnipiac.edu