Softball Set for Five Games at Winthrop/Adidas Tournament

Setting the Scene
What: Winthrop/Adidas Tournament
When: Feb. 24-26
Where: Terry Field/Field C (Rock Hill, S.C.)

Bucknell Game Schedule
Friday
vs. North Carolina Central – 1 p.m. (Field C) | Live Stats
at Winthrop – 3 p.m. (Terry Field) | Live Stats
Saturday
vs. East Tennessee State – 1 p.m. (Field C) | Live Stats
vs. Eastern Kentucky – 3 p.m.
Sunday
vs. Mount St. Mary's – 10 a.m. (Field C) | Live Stats

About the Bison
• Bucknell is 4-1 after competing at the Gardner-Webb Tournament last weekend, recording two wins over Hampton and two over the host 'Runnin Bulldogs. The loss was to Seton Hall.
• Senior Lara Bean was named the Patriot League Pitcher of the Week after going 3-0 in four appearances. She posted a 1.43 ERA, gave up three earned runs, and struck out five batters in 14.2 innings of work.
• Junior Paulina Gutkin, freshman Marisa Alemany, and sophomore Anna Gimmestad led Bucknell's offense. Gutkin went 9-for-15 with a double, triple, five RBIs, and two stolen bases. Making her collegiate debut, Alemany was 7-of-15 with five runs scored. Gimmestad picked up where she left off from a solid rookie season, going 7-for-17 with two doubles, two triples, and seven runs scored.
• Junior Meghan Kovac homered in her first at-bat of the 2017 season.
• The Bison scored at least five runs in all five games.
• Freshman Raeanne Geffert had a solid first weekend in the circle. She struck out 11 batters in 15 innings.

Scouting the Opponents
• North Carolina Central – The Eagles are 1-5 after two losses in a doubleheader with Elon. Their win this season was by a 6-4 score to UMES. Dominique Wilson is 1-3, but has a 2.45 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 20 innings.
• Winthrop – The Eagles are 6-4 after going 5-0 with wins over Eastern Kentucky, Illinois-Chicago, Monmouth, Lipscomb, and host College of Charleston at the Cougar Classic. Paige Haley is batting .394 (13-33) with two doubles and one home run.
• East Tennessee State – The Buccaneers are 4-6 after going 0-5 with losses to Virginia (twice), Charleston Southern (twice), and UNCW at their home tournament. Tiffany Laughren is batting .517 (15-29) with four doubles.
• Eastern Kentucky – The Colonels are 0-5 with losses to Winthrop, College of Charleston, Illinois-Chicago, Lipscomb, and Monmouth. Two of the losses came by just one run. They went 37-17 last season.
• Mount St. Mary's – The Mount opens play this weekend, coming off a 15-35 record last season.

Series History with Opponents
• Bucknell is 4-0 against North Carolina Central, including two 8-0 wins last season. Meghan Kovac went 5-for-8 with three doubles and four RBIs, while Christina Martinez was 3-for-6 with one double and two RBIs.
• Winthrop won the only meeting against Bucknell by a 5-2 score in 1998.
• Bucknell and East Tennessee State will play for the first time.
• The Bison are 1-1 against Eastern Kentucky. The teams split a series in 2007.
• Bucknell leads 24-7 in the series with Mount St. Mary's. The teams haven't played since 2011, when the Bison won twice.

Up Next
• The Bison will play Quinnipiac, Monmouth (twice), and host George Washington at the Colonial Classic on March 4-5.