Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Softball Prepares for Mid-Week Showdown with UMBC
4/13/2009 8:00:00 AM | Softball
April 13, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. – After a tough weekend on the road, the Bucknell softball team will return to the friendly confines of the Bucknell Softball Field for a Tuesday afternoon bout with UMBC. The doubleheader's first pitch is set for 2 p.m. Live stats on GameTracker will be available at BucknellBison.com.
Bucknell and UMBC have met just 12 times prior to Tuesday with the Bison winning four of those matchups. The two teams split when they played last season in Baltimore. Bucknell won the first game, 5-3, as former Bison Erin Curatola and current student-athlete Lauren Fry (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) each hit their first career home run. The Retrievers bounced back for a win in the day's second game, 5-1.
ABOUT THE BISON
- Bucknell struggled in its Patriot League series at Colgate last weekend. The Bison were swept despite an outburst of power from Jessie Snyder (Tacoma, Wash./Stadium) and Alison Ford (Suison, Calif./Fairfield). Snyder hit three home runs on the weekend, including two in the Bison's 14-13 loss on Saturday. Ford connected for two long shots in two games. Ashley Beans (Hanover, Pa./Hanover) and Cassie Lloyd (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) also hit homers during the weekend. The display gives the team 20 home runs on the season, moving it into second place for team homers in a season. Only the 2008 squad has more at 22.
- Ford and Snyder apparently have never heard of the sophomore slump, as both have improved significantly on their numbers from their freshman campaigns. With 12 regular-season games remaining, Ford has already surpassed her totals in runs (eight in 2008, 18 in 2009), hits (18 in 2008, 31 in 2009) and home runs (one in 2008, four in 2009) among others categories. After hitting just one double and one home run in 2008, Snyder has improved both those totals to five this season. She has also doubled her RBIs from 10 a year ago to 20 now.
- Although Mary Pavlovich (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) has struggled at the plate this year, the junior third baseman returned to form at Colgate, hitting .364 against the Raiders. The performance included a 3-for-4 outing in game two on Saturday in which she hit a pair of doubles. With 27 doubles in her career, she is now tied for eighth in the program record books.
- The Bison are 4-4 on their home field in 2009. At the Bucknell Softball Field, Lloyd is hitting .500, but Beans has put up some of the team's most well-rounded performances. The outfielder is batting .435 with two home runs, two doubles, two triples, 10 runs and six RBI. The team's pitchers fare better on their home turf as well, as Jane Messersmith (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor) has a 2.33 earned run average. Her ERA jumps to 8.54 on the road. Katie McDonald's (York, Pa./West York Area) ERA is a neat 3.00 at home and 6.38 on the road.
ABOUT THE RETRIEVERS
- UMBC enters the mid-week, non-league doubleheader with a 25-16 record. The squad lost two of three games against America East foe Albany last weekend, falling 9-1 in six innings in game one before bouncing back in game two of the Friday doubleheader for a 5-3 win. Saturday's contest was a tough loss to swallow for the Retrievers as they lost 4-3 in extra innings.
- The Retrievers have four players hitting .300 or better, including Amanda Fefel with a team-best .420 (50-119). The junior also leads the team in home runs with nine and RBI with 37. UMBC's lineup has its share of power at the plate, as eight players have hit multiple home runs this season. Stephanie Weigman heads the Retrievers' pitching staff with a 15-11 record and 2.52 ERA. The sophomore has totaled 20 complete games in 31 appearances with 198 strikeouts.
- UMBC and Bucknell have had a pair of common opponents this season in Robert Morris and Towson. The Retrivers defeated Robert Morris, 5-4, at the end of March and split with Towson three days later. Bucknell fell to both opponents in their meetings.
UP NEXT
Bucknell will play its final Patriot League opponent at home this weekend, taking on Lehigh at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 and noon on Sunday, April 19. Ashley Beans, Ashley Carlson, Kristin Frick, Cassie Lloyd and Katie McDonald will be recognized as a part of Bucknell Softball Senior Day prior to Saturday's contests.
