Softball Travels to the First State for the Blue Hen Invitational

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison softball team (4-8) enters its fourth weekend of competition when it travels to the Blue Hen Invitational to face three opponents. The Orange & Blue will play the host team in Delaware (8-5), Fairfield (0-5), and Maine (0-8).

The Starting Lineup
What: Blue Hen Invitational
Where: Delaware Softball Diamond (Newark, Del.)
When: March 1-3

Weekend Schedule
Friday, March 1 | Delaware Softball Diamond
5:30 p.m. | vs. Fairfield | Live Stats

Saturday, March 2 | Delaware Softball Diamond
10 a.m. | vs. Maine | Live Stats
3 p.m. | at Delaware | Live Stats | FloSoftball

Sunday, March 3 | Delaware Softball Diamond
10 a.m. | vs. Maine | Live Stats
12:30 p.m. | vs. Fairfield | Live Stats

Caffrey's Call

"This weekend is a great opportunity to compete against some great teams. I'm excited for us to continue building in the right direction and continuing to play consistent softball. We had some bright spots last week, and I'm looking forward to what a new weekend will bring."

The Inside "Herd" on the Bison

Bucknell went 2-3 at the Adventure Crossing USA Classic. The Bison defeated Hofstra twice before falling to FDU in two games and losing the third game to Hofstra.
The Orange & Blue swept Hofstra, 5-4 and 4-0 Friday. The Pride participated in the 2023 Norman Regional.
Madison Roukey pitched a scoreless shutout against Hofstra, tossing 11 strikeouts. Roukey's output was the highest by a Bison ace since Raeanne Geffert threw 16 against Mount St. Mary's in 2020.
The junior pitcher received a Patriot League honorable mention for her performance.
Roukey has the fourth-best ERA (2.59) in the league and fifth-most strikeouts (19).
Brooke Popella ranks seventh in the Patriot League with three doubles. The rookie also places tenth in RBIs (7).
Zoie Smith has the sixth spot in the circuit for slugging percentage (.636).

Overview of the Opposition

Delaware- Delaware is 8-5 on the season. They are coming off the Virginia Tournament, where the Blue Hens went 3-1, defeating Iowa State twice and Patriot League team Lehigh once. Virginia defeated the Blue Hens. Delaware boasts a potent offense with two batters hitting over .400, and Gianna Costaro has already clubbed five home runs. Emily Winburn is the staff ace with five of Delaware's eight wins. The Blue Hens are Bucknell's third CAA foe of the year.
Fairfield- The Stags are 0-5 on the year. Fairfield has only played one weekend (Feb. 16-18) at the ECU Pirate Clash. The Stags were defeated twice by ECU and Marshall and once by Longwood. The Stags struggled offensively, only scoring four runs. Anna Paravati was a bright spot, batting .400. Fairfield hit two solo home runs. Pitching-wise, the Connecticut school yielded a staff ERA of 7.00.
Maine - The Black Bears are 0-8 on the season. Maine played an ambitious schedule with four opponents residing in the Power Five. Every loss has been by five runs or more. Offensively, Maine is hitting .178 with 12 runs scored. Kristia Francia leads the team with a .300 batting average. Due to the schedule, their team ERA is 11.63

History with the Foe

Delaware- The Blue Hens have been a frequent opponent, with 44 contests played. Delaware leads the series, 30-13-1. The series was first played in 1981. The last games were in 2021, Caffrey's first season. The teams split the two-game series, 1-1.
Fairfield- The Stags own the 2-0 series advantage. The games occurred in 2003 and 2004.
Maine- Bucknell has the 3-1 series lead. The series also started in 2003. The Bison won the first game, 6-1. The two teams faced off last year, and Bucknell won 8-2.

Up Next

The Bison head to Madeira Beach for the annual Spring Games competition and the ensuing Spring Break competition. The Spring Games start on March 8.