Softball Continues Road Swing at ETSU

EMU TRAVELS TO TENNESSEE FOR THREE-GAME SERIES: After the cancellation of the Stony Brook Tournament, the Eastern Michigan University softball team added a three-game series with the Bucccaneers of East Tennessee State University, March 14-15. The Eagles will play one game Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. before closing out the weekend with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 15.

ALL-TIME SERIES: The weekend series will mark the first time that the Eagles and the Bucs have met on the diamond and the first time the Green and White have taken on a team from the Southern Conference this season as ETSU joined the conference less than a year ago.

EAGLES PICK UP ONE IN USF UNDER ARMOUR TOURNAMENT: Entering the USF Under Armour Tournament on a three-game winning streak, the Eagles picked up a fourth-straight win, downing Villanova, Feb. 27, to open the tournament. EMU nabbed the thrilling 3-1 victory, scoring two runs in the final inning.
   The Wildcats were the first to get on the board in the fourth inning but the Green and White fought back to knot the score at 1-1 in the top of the sixth before senior Jenn Lucas ripped a single down the left field line to score two runs for the EMU win.

HITTING .300 OR BETTER: Four EMU hitters are hitting .300 or better to kick off the 2015 season, as Aoife Duffy leads the way after starting five games behind the plate and tallying five hits for the Green and White for a .357 batting average.
   Junior Abi Clark has come on as of late for the Eagles, tallying 12 hits and driving in seven RBI for a .353 batting average. As the No. 3 hitter for EMU, sophomore Michelle Kriegshauser has been consistent in the lineup, notching a team-best 14 hits with nine RBI for a .350 batting average, while also carrying a team-high .475 slugging percentage.
   Finally, senior Jenn Lucas has been clutch at the the dish, driving in six RBI, two of which secured the Eastern victory over Villanova, while hitting at a .316 clip to start her final season donning the Green and White. The senior outfielder has tallied 12 hits, including three doubles and holds a .474 slugging percentage. Furthermore, Lucas heads to the three-game series against ETSU hoping to keep her four-game hitting streak alive.

SCOUTING ETSU: The Buccaneers come into the weekend series with a 9-9 overall record, having most recently split a doubleheader with Presbyterian, March 11. ETSU started off the season on a four-game losing streak at the Hampton Inn Invitational before following it up with a four-game winning streak to even out its record at 4-4.
   Fifth year Head Coach Brad Irwin leads a powerful offense with nine players hitting .300 or better, while two players are just under the .300 mark. Freshman Cassi Pickett has proven she can keep pace at the collegiate level with a team-best .366 batting average with 15 hits, including two home runs and eight RBI, while Nicole Fox is batting at a .365 clip with a team-best 23 hits and scoring 12 times. Three ETSU hitters have driven in double-digit RBI with Kelsey Smith knocking in a team-high 17 and Latosha Rectenwald bringing in 14 for the Bucs. Finally, Taylor Carter has driven in 11 runs on 16 hits. As a team, ETSU is hitting at a .304 clip, while the Buccaneer pitching staff is allowing batters to hit .294 on the season.
   Carter has been able to help herself at the plate all season long and has become the ace of the ETSU pitching staff with nine appearances, seven starts and five complete games. The sophomore right-hander has tossed 43.0 innings with 28 strikeouts and holds a team-best 2.77 ERA with a 4-4 record. Senior Whitney Leon has also made nine appearances along with six starts for ETSU this season for a 3-2 record. As a staff, the Bucs have a 4.59 ERA, allowing 75 earned runs to cross the plate in 2015.

ON DECK: Eastern Michigan will play its first games in Ypsilanti Wednesday, March 18, when they take on North Dakota. The doubleheader will mark the second time this season that the Eagles and UND will square off. North Dakota holds a 1-0 advantage over the Eagles, while the all-time series is tied at 1-1 with an EMU victory in the 2014 campaign. First pitch in the EMU home opener is slated for 1 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Abi Clark

Aoife Duffy

Michelle Kriegshauser

Jenn Lucas

Eastern Michigan Athletics