SERIES PREVIEW: Softball vs. LeTourneau University (4/13)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
FIRST PITCH
The University of Dallas softball team concludes its final home games on Wednesday at 5 p.m. with a non-conference doubleheader with LeTourneau University. Dallas is looking to bounce back after a four-game sweep last weekend to No. 3 Texas Lutheran University. The Lady Crusaders had won a season-long, seven games in a row and eight of the last 10 prior to that blemished series.
Dallas moved to 16-18 overall and is 9-8 at home this season. The Lady Crusaders secured third place in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) for the second straight season. UD is 1-3 against teams in the Southern Athletic Association. The lone squad hosted in Irving, Texas, was Hendrix College and the teams split a twinbill to open the season.
CRUSADER NOTES
- Senior Erin Begle (Houston, Texas) paces the team in most offensive categories. She leads in hitting (.389), tied for hits (37), doubles (12), home runs (4), and RBI (27).
- The short stop is tied to form a quartet of SCAC players with four homers, and is third in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) for RBI.
- Joining Begle on the squad with a team-high 37 hits are juniors Lyda Tesauro (Hollywood, Fl.) and Avery Finch (Jamul, Calif.).
- Tesauro is hitting .352 with nine doubles and 18 RBI.
- Finch leads the team with 25 stolen bases and is also atop of the USCAA. She ranks second in the SCAC. The centerfielder leads the team with four triples and is batting .314.
- Junior Allison Kotlar (Edna, Texas) has chipped in a .347 batting average and ranks second on the squad with 20 RBI. She and freshman Melanie Savala (Bryan, Texas) have cracked 30 hits with 33 and 31, respectively.
- The Lady Crusaders have swiped 105 stolen bases as a team. Savala is behi
nd Finch with 15 and Tesauro has 12. Freshman Roma Thornton (Wharton, Texas) has gone a perfect 10-for-10 in steals.
- Junior Katie Lee (Houston, Texas) is tied for first in the USCAA with 12 wins. That mark is tied second highest in SCAC.
QUICK LOOK AT YELLOWJACKETS
LeTourneau University has won five straight games and are 16-16 for an even .500 record coming into the midweek matchup. The YellowJackets are also 8-8 at both home and away venues. LETU is 4-3 in out of league contests. Five conference wins, including the recent sweep of Hardin-Simmons University, have been part of the latest streak.
Megan Hill highlights the YellowJackets' offense with a .415 batting average and 39 hits. She also leads the squad with nine doubles and 21 RBI. Kennedi Dillow his hitting .333 with 30 hits. Rachel Gauspohi has driven in 18 and is tied with Brianna Williams with four home runs to match a team-high. LETU has rocked 16 long balls, with five players recording at least two.
Kayla Cosby has pitched the majority of innings, going 82.2. She is 8-6 with an earned run average of 2.71. Cosby has also forced 49 strikeouts. Courteny Matullis has gone 4-2 with a 3.26 ERA in 43 innings. Ashley Burdine has logged the second most innings with a 48.1-clip. Samantha Thomas has also thrown 28.2 innings.
HISTORY
Dallas is 10-14 in the overall series versus the YellowJackets. Last season was the most recent these programs met on the softball diamond, and the result was a split. The Lady Crusaders claimed a 7-0 shutout before falling 5-3.
Begle paced the group in the victory with three hits (3-4), while Finch, Tesauro, and Kotlar each etched a pair. Begle and Tesauro recorded doubles and the trio mentioned with two hits also swiped at least one bag – led by Begle with two. Lee had four hits allowed with just as many strikeouts in the shutout.
Last time these teams met at Crusader Field was March 14, 2012, with LeTourneau winning 2-0.
UP NEXT
Dallas plays the final games before the SCAC Tournament. The four-game set is at Schreiner University. Currently schedule is slated for April 16-17.
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
Softball Twitter: @UDallasSoftball
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
Instagram: udallasathletics