SERIES PREVIEW: Softball at THE SPRING GAMES (3/15-16)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
(Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham University)
(Salve Regina University)
(None for the two Thursday games)
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
Softball Twitter: @UDallasSoftball
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
Instagram: udallasathletics
FIRST PITCH
The University of Dallas softball team will spend this spring break in Florida for a major classic known as "The Spring Games." Participating for the first time, Dallas will play a quartet of teams from the east coast with two games on March 15th and 16th. All opponents will be first time meetings for the program.
On Wednesday, the Crusaders begin at 8 a.m. against Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham University. Later that afternoon at 1, Salve Regina University will take on UD. That contest will be available via webcast. The next day, University of Scranton and Susquehanna University will play against Dallas respectively at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Those nightcaps will have statistics available at a later time.
All times for these games are listed locally in Eastern Time Zone.
The Crusaders are 5-11 overall, but coming off their best weekend of the campaign. They began Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play by winning 3-of-4 at Trinity University (W| 3-0, W| 3-1, W| 3-2, L| 2-0). All three contests were low scoring matchups, as neither prevailing squad had more than three runs.
UD NOTES
- Jade Miller (Plano, Texas) has been the catalyst in the lineup for the Crusaders. Her .477 batting average ranks tops in the SCAC. She boasts 21 hits and has reached base in her last nine.
- Miller leads the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) in stolen bases (13) and has only been caught once. The outfielder has made a steal in four-of-five games and six-of-eight dating back to last date in February.
- Miller is tied for third in the USCAA and tied for fourth in the SCAC for home runs.
- Melanie Savala (Bryan, Texas) cranked the game-winning homer for UD's first conference win last weekend and is batting even at a .300-clip. She has 12 hits and is tied with Allison Kotlar for runs batted in (5).
- Miller (12) and Savala (8) are the top two run scorers as well in addition to being the top two averages.
- Kotlar has one more base knock with 13 to be second on the squad.
- Mackenzie Tano (Wylie, Texas) has a team-high seven RBI. Allie Driskill (Houston, Texas) has driven six runners in and picked up four total last week through six games.
- In the circle, Lauren Galvan (Bryan, Texas) earned wins in both her weekend outings at Trinity. She has three during her first spring to rank her tied for second in the USCAA.
- Katie Lee (Houston, Texas) paces the staff in innings pitched (48) and is tied fourth in USCAA for strikeouts thrown (18).
- UD pitchers the last five games have surrendered three earned runs or less.
A LOOK AT THE OPPOSITION
Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham University
- The Devils are 2-6 this year and have been on this spring break trip since Sunday.
- During the first four games, the team has gone 1-3. Since prevailing in the first matchup against Keene State 9-5, the last three games have been setbacks. On Monday, both contests were two-run losses (2-0, 5-3).
- Dallas is the next opponent on this week-long stretch that includes four more games combined on Wednesday and Thursday.
- Taylor Torre (.400) and Michelle Mangini (.381) are the top two hitters.
- Torre has a team-high 10 hits with two doubles. Mangini has the other two-bagger and has powered a pair of homers. This tandem counts for the only extra base hits on the team.
- Megan Zaccario and Audrie Thomas account for all but one inning thrown in the circle. Zaccario has 14 strikeouts in 25 innings and a 3.64 ERA.
Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham Season Stats
Salve Regina University
- The Seahawks are 2-5 this season and have played every contest this month. All but one have been in Florida during the spring break stretch.
- So far, four contests have gone less than the regular seven innings, with SRU splitting those. Both victories have resulted in double-digit run totals.
- Dallas is the next opponent on this stretch as four more games loom Wednesday and Thursday.
- Emily Woznick is the player to watch with 11 hits, three bombs, and seven runs batted in.
- Amanda Riley leads the team in runs scored (6) followed by a trio that includes Woznick with five. Elizabeth Lombardo and Riley each have three doubles. Lexi Soucie has smacked a pair of two-baggers.
- In the circle, Kelsey Boarman has gone 2-2 with a 6.49 ERA in 22.2 innings. Kaleigh Dwyer has a team-low 4.97 ERA in 12.2 innings.
University of Scranton
- The Royals started their 2017 campaign a couple days ago in Clermont, Florida. So far they are 2-3 with one of the games being rained out.
- In both triumphs this season, Scranton has crossed home nine times with each game happening in the last two outings prior to the postponement Monday.
- Scranton will play three different teams before facing the Crusaders in its remaining game of the spring break stretch.
- The top hitters on the squad are Megan Zinn with eight hits and Shannon Sticker with seven. Two other players in Molly Hampsey and Jacqueline DeSarro each have six.
- DeSarro has been a strong run producer early with 11-of-26 RBI coming off her bat. She has two homers while Sticker has struck the other one.
- DeSarro is also the team leader in doubles (2). Zinn has posted a double and triple for extra base hits.
- Morgan Rentzheimer leads the team in innings pitched (19.1) and has spun a 2.90 ERA. She has also fanned 19 opposition hitters.
- Emily Simon has logged 11 frames completed in the circle as well.
Susquehanna University
- The River Hawks are 4-2 on the season and won the past four games to start the stretch in Florida.
- Susquehanna played one of UD's upcoming foes this week, Salve Regina, and blanked them 7-0.
- After combing for a run in 12 innings on February 19th for the season opener, the River Hawks have scored at least five runs in the quartet of victories Sunday and Monday.
- The upcoming schedule this week includes a pair of games on Wednesday-Friday.
- The team has totaled 33 hits and 25 runs scored. Emilie Boman paces the team with six knocks and a double.
- Kelly Miller is the team leader with a .455 batting average. She has five hits (2nd), a double, triple, homer, and eight RBI (1st).
- Jill Ahrens, Emily Lear, and Leigh Ann Greenwald create a trio of players with four knocks.
- Boman and Lauren Creamer are tied for second on the team in ribbies (4).
- Alexa Gonzalez (22) and Jamie Fesinstine (17) have combined to pitch all innings this season. Gonzalez is 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA. Fesinstine has struck out 21 and the team has 31 altogether.
UP NEXT
Dallas is home for its first SCAC series at the friendly confines. The Crusaders host Schreiner University March 25-26 with both dates having 12 p.m. start times.