Softball | March 14, 2019

PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle softball team (2-8) returns to the diamond this weekend with five games on tap in the USF-Clearwater Parks and Recreation Showcase Tournament in Clearwater, Fla. The Explorers see a twin bill on Friday, taking on Columbia at 9:30 a.m. and Brown at 11:45 a.m. Saturday is slated with a pair of games against Quinnipiac at 9 a.m. and Army at 11:30 a.m. La Salle finishes the tournament with Butler on Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• La Salle has dropped its last four games to fall to 2-8 on the 2019 campaign.
• At the plate, senior Emma Schweigert is the lone Explorer batting over .300 at .345 on the season. Schweigert has started all 10 games in center field and paces the team in hits, runs scored, and is tied for the team lead in total bases, and walks.
• Junior Emily Conaway leads the Explorers with five RBIs on the year. Despite hitting .226, with seven hits, Conaway leads the team with five extra base knocks with three doubles, a triple, and a home run. She is tied with Schweigert for the team lead in total bases and is second in runs.
• On the rubber, freshman Cailey Joyce has seen the most action with 39.1 innings of work. The rookie has given up 57 hits and 10 walks, while allowing just 15 earned runs for a 2.67 ERA. Joyce has also set down 20 batters on strikes.
• Sophomore Morgan Orlowski has seen action in six games, making five starts. Orlowski has tossed 22.2 innings this season with a 5.56 ERA.
• A young squad, the Explorers have seen six different rookies make a start this season, including freshmen Natalie Rios, and Mackenzie Vogler starting all 10 games. Joyce and classmate Audrey LaBouliere add nine starts apiece, while freshman Mack Bernhard has made eight. Rookie Kaylee Piven, who returned this past weekend from injury, made two starts.
• Collectively, La Salle recorded 18 base knocks in its first five games. Over the last five, the team has improved its hitting efforts with 35 hits, including 10 over Georgetown and a season high 11 versus Cleveland State.
• After registering 17 errors through the first five games of the season, the Explorers have made just eight mistakes through their last five, including a pair of games with none.

SCOUTING THE LIONS:

• Columbia enters play at 2-8 overall and is currently riding a five-game losing streak.
• A pair of Lions are hitting .370 or above, while starting all 10 games on the year. Max Ortega leads the team at .393 with 11 hits.
• Sommer Grzybek is second with a .370 batting average, leading the team in runs, homeruns, RBIs, and total bases.
• In the circle, two pitchers have seen the bulk of the work. Madison Canby has pitched a team high 26.1 innings, posting a 3.46 ERA. She's allowed 37 hits while striking out 12.
• Alexa Pinarski is the team's number two pitcher. Pinarski pitched 17.1 innings in her six appearances this season. She's allowed 25 hits and 13 walks for 19 runs and a 7.67 ERA.

SCOUTING THE BEARS:

• After starting the season 1-3, Brown has won three straight games for an overall record of 4-3.
• Madi Cranford is leading the team at the plate with a .778 batting average. Cranford has started all seven games, recording 14 hits, seven RBIs, and five walks.
• Ashli Lotz with a .524 average. Lotz has 11 hits in 21 at bats.
• Emily Waters leads the pitching staff with 22.1 innings of work. Waters posts a 4.84 ERA with 18 hits, 13 runs, and 11 walks allowed.

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS:

• Quinnipiac enters play with a 4-9 record.
• Despite a team batting average of .208, Kayla Jensen is posting a .333 average. Jensen leads the team with 15 hits with 20 total bases and is third with five RBIs.
• The pitching staff boasts an ERA of 3.78, led by Lauren King. King has thrown 37.0 innings in 12 appearances. She's allowed 29 hits and 18 walks while striking out 14.
• Kendall Brundrett leads the team with 42.2 innings of work in 11 appearances. With a 4.76 ERA, Brundrett has given up 52 hits and 36 walks.

SCOUTING THE BLACK KNIGHTS:

• Army is 8-14 on the year heading into this weekend's tournament.
• Grace Mattimore leads the Black Knights at the plate, hitting .417 on the season in 10 games of action. Mattimore is pacing the team in homers and RBIs.
• After Mattimore, Jolie Duong is hitting .339 with 19 hits in 56 at bats.
• Duong is a multipurpose player, as she also is the workhorse on the Black Knights pitching staff. In 15 games, she's thrown 78 innings of work. With 38 punch outs, Duong has a 3.59 ERA while giving up 81 hits, 46 runs, and 24 walks.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:

• Butler sits at 8-12 after dropping its last two game to Army and North Dakota State.
• Jenna Foreman sits atop the Bulldogs in hitting with a .354 average. Foreman leads the team with 23 hits, 23 total bases, and 12 runs scored.
• In the circle, Butler has had three pitchers throw at least 27.0 innings this season. Alyssa Graves leads the way with 53.0 innings.