Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Softball Opens Home Schedule with Drexel Wednesday
3/23/2009 8:00:00 AM | Softball
March 23, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell softball team opens its 2009 home schedule with a doubleheader against Drexel at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25. The Bison (7-13) will try to end their five-game losing streak when they take on the Dragons at the Varsity Softball Field. Live stats will be available on GameTracker.
Bucknell is 15-19 against Drexel in the all-time series, which began in 1982. The two teams last met in 2006 in Philadelphia with the Dragons coming out on top, 3-2. Kristin Frick (West Chester, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) tallied the Bison's only two hits on the day.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
- Drexel finished the weekend with an 11-8 overall record and 1-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Before heading to Lewisburg, the Dragons will Saint Joseph's on Tuesday.
- Drexel took two of three games last weekend against CAA foe Georgia State. The Dragons sandwiched their 5-3 game-two win with losses at 6-1 and 6-0. Katrina Gaudier took both losses in the circle, and Hillary Allen earned the win on Saturday. Drexel also received some power at the plate with home runs from Kristen Beaver and Christina Rodriguez.
- Catcher Ashley Botelho leads the squad in hitting with a .433 average (26-for-60) over 19 games. She also has a Dragon-high six doubles, 17 RBI, .683 slugging percentage and .485 on-base percentage. Her 13 runs scored is tied with teammate Lisa Williams for a team best. In the pitching circle, Gaudier leads the team in wins at 6-3 in 10 appearances. She also has a 3.22 ERA and is tied with teammates Allen and Ellen Boundy for the lead in strikeouts with 16.
- Botelho helped the Dragons sweep the CAA weekly awards last week, taking the conference's Player of the Week honor. Gaudier was also named Pitcher of the Week, and Devon Metcalf was selected as Rookie of the Week.
LAST TIME OUT
- The Bison claimed a pair of weekly awards from the Patriot League. Jane Messersmith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) was selected as the Patriot League Rookie of the Week on March 11, while Alyssa Okita (Davis, Calif./Davis) was named the Player of the Week on March 16. Messersmith earned her first collegiate win against Penn at the Rebel Spring Games, helping her to her honor. The freshman allowed three runs, only one of which was earned, on seven hits. Also at the Rebel Spring Games, Okita hit .412 in seven games with two home runs and eight RBI. The junior also finished the week without committing an error while starting each of the seven games at shortstop. It was the first career league accolade for each player.
- Bucknell played 10 games over a one-week span in Kissimmee, Fla., at the Rebel Spring Games beginning March 8. The Bison struggled in Florida, finishing the in-season tournament with a 2-8 record. They took a 4-3 win over Penn before shutting out IPFW 2-0. Bucknell also faced off against Butler, Yale, Sacred Heart, Buffalo, Robert Morris, Columbia and Bryant.
- Messersmith pitched the Bison to both their wins on the week, starting with a 4-3 victory over Penn. In the complete game, Messersmith gave up three runs on seven hits with five walks and five strikeouts. At the plate, Ashley Carlson (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) scored in the first inning off a lineout from Alison Ford (Suison, Calif./Fairfield). Ashley Beans (Hanover, Pa./Hanover) then gave Bucknell the 4-1 advantage with a three-run homer that also scored Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) and Ford.
- The week's second win came against the Mastadons of IPFW. The game went scoreless until the sixth inning, thanks largely in part to Liz Fanning (Ventura, Calif./St. Bonaventure HS) who pitched four scoreless innings for the Bison. Messersmith wrapped up the game, allowing a single hit to help shutout IPFW, 2-0. Lauren Trosch (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh) scored on a throwing error in the sixth before Bucknell added its second and final run in the seventh off a double from Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield). Carlson scored on the play.
- The Orange and Blue played some tight games in Florida with eight of 10 contests being decided by two runs or less. Only one matchup was forced into extra innings however, as the Bison fell 7-6 in eight innings to Butler on March 8.
- With the week of play in Florida, Beans, Carlson, and Katie McDonald (York, Pa./West York Area) have each moved into various top-10 lists at Bucknell. The trio is among the university's top players in most games played. Beans is tied for fifth at 168 career games, while Carlson is tied for ninth at 165. Carlson can also be found among the top 10 in runs scored (fourth, 85) and stolen bases (fourth, 41). McDonald is ninth on the pitchers' list with 61 career games played. The senior pitcher also ranks eighth with 129 career strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Bucknell's stay at home will be a short one. Following the pair of contests against the Dragons, the Orange and Blue will kick off Patriot League action in Worcester, Mass., as they take on Holy Cross March 28-29. The first game of each doubleheader is slated for noon.
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