Softball Continues 2016 Campaign in Clearwater

Softball at USF Under Armour Series
Date	Friday, Feb. 26 - Sunday, Feb. 28
Venue	Clearwater, Fla.
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	N/A
Watch	N/A
Twitter	@EMUS oftball \| @EMUAthletics

CLEARWATER, Fla. (EMUEagles.com) - On the heels of its best weekend in nearly five years, the Eastern Michigan University softball team remains in Florida to take part in the USF Under Armour Series, Feb. 26-28. The Eagles open the weekend Friday, Feb. 26, against Seton Hall before taking on Georgia State immediately after the clash with the Pirates. Eastern then squares off against Villanova, Feb. 27, with its final two opponents dependent on the round robin outcomes.

WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER: Piecing together a 4-1 record at the Madeira Beach Invitational, the Eagles were winners of the invitational by tie breaker. Marist and Georgia Southern also held 4-1 records on the weekend but after tying Georgia Southern in run differential, the Eagles 32 runs scored over the weekend gave the Green and White the upperhand.

ONE OF THE BEST: With a 4-1 record at the EMU Madeira Beach Invitational, the Eagles turned in their best non-conference weekend record since the 2011 season when they went a perfect 4-0 at the FGCU Invitational, March 2-4.

EAGLES IN THE SUNSHINE STATE: Since the 2014 season, the Eagles hold a 12-16 record when playing in the state of Florida. After compiling a 4-11 mark in Head Coach Melissa Gentile's first season at the helm, the Eagles have won 8-of-13 games in the Sunshine State since. The Green and White are coming off their most successful weekend since the 2011 season when the Eagles posted a 4-0 record at the FGCU Invite.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Eastern holds a 10-6 all-time record against this weekend's opponents, including a 3-2 mark under the direction of Head Coach Melissa Gentile.
   Friday's tilt with SHU comes exactly four years after the last meeting between the two squads. The Eagles came out on top, 7-1, when the teams met back on Feb. 24, 2012, pushing their edge to 3-0 over the Pirates all-time. EMU also holds a winning record against Villanova at a tally of 5-2, including a 3-1 win a season ago. Georgia State is the only of this weekend's foes to hold an advantage over the Eagles in the series, winning four-of-six meetings against the Green and White.

TAMING THE WILDCATS: Villanova enters the weekend on the heels of a tough go at the Madeira Beach Invitational. The Wildcats finished the tournament with a 1-4 record, with their last win coming on the final day courtesy of a 11-0 run-rule win over Siena.
   VU's lineup consists of four players hitting .300 or better, led by Lauren Hershberg's .500 batting average. Herschberg lead the team offensively, with team-highs in home runs (2) and RBI (7).
   In the circle, Kate Poppe carries a majority of the load. Villanova's ace holds a 1-2 record on the season with a 2.03 earned run average, all of which lead the team. Past Poppe, the Wildcats struggle for consistency as opponents hit .375 off the rest of the pitching staff.

A QUICK PEEK AT THE PIRATES: Posting it's second consecutive 4-1 weekend record, Seton Hall travels south for the USF Under Armour Series. The Pirates enter the Sunshine State with an 8-2 overall record and carrying a four-game win streak.
   Seton Hall's lineup features 10 players hitting .324 or better through SHU's first 10 games. The Pirates are led by reigning Big East Player of the Week, Yasmin Harrell. The senior utility player boasts a team-best .424 batting average, registering 14 hits in 33 at bats. While Harrell has crossed the plate more than any other Pirate, Noel Lent has provided the timely hits. Hitting .419 at the plate, Lent has driven in a team-high 10 runs this season.
   In the circle, Madison Strunk has shouldered a majority of the work. In five starts, Strunk has gone the distance in four while compiling a 6-2 record. Her 2.47 earned run average and 32 strikeouts lead the Pirates this season.

GETTING TO KNOW GEORGIA STATE: Following an 8-7 midweek win over St. John's, Georgia State is set to compete in the USF Under Armour Series. Sitting at 5-6 on the season, the Panthers have struggled to push runs across the plate consistently.
   Hitting just .206 as a team, Ivie Drake is the lone player hitting above .300 this season. With nine hits on the year, Drake is hitting .333 at the plate. More impressively however is that five of Drake's nine hits have been of the extra-base variety, four of which have left the park.
   Georgia State has sent six different hurlers to the circle this season. Annie Davis and Katie Worley have split a majority of the innings, piecing together 1-1 and 2-0 records, respectively. Davis leads the team with a 2.22 earned run average while Worley is just behind her, sporting a 2.33 ERA.As a pitching staff, the Panthers own a 3.89 team earned run average but 26 errors by the defense has resulted in 20 unearned runs for opponents this season.

MIRANDA HONORED BY THE MAC: Freshman Nicolle Miranda was named Mid-American Conference West Division Pitcher of the Week, Feb. 23, after leading the Eagles at the Madeira Beach Invitational. Miranda finished the weekend with a 2-1 record while also registering a save. The freshman hurler fanned a dozen in EMU's win over UMASS-Lowell, Feb. 19, the most by a freshman in program history. Miranda's 12 K's also ranks fourth all-time in EMU annals.

NOT ONE, NOT TWO, BUT THREE: In the third inning of its 9-1 five inning drubbing of George Mason, Eastern Michigan hit back-to-back-to-back home runs. Freshman Amanda Akles crushed the first one, clearing the center field fence for her first career home run. Her three-run shot was followed by a homer to left by senior Aoife Duffy while senior Abi Clark sent the 2-2 delivery to the ocean in right field.
   The trio of dingers marked the first time in program history the Eagles recorded three in a row.

AKLES ERRUPTS AT THE PLATE: Going 3-for-3 in Eastern's 9-1 drubbing of George Mason, Feb. 21, freshman Amanda Akles turned in one of the best offensive games in program history. The La Habra, Calif. product became one of 13 EMU student-athletes to belt two home runs in a single game. Additionally, her three extra base hits ranks second in program history and is the most in a game since the 2008 season. Akles drove in six of the Eagles' nine runs, tying the most in a single game in program laurels. With six RBIs, Akles joins Chris Loscalzo and Nikki Denman to accomplish the feat. Loscalzo did so against Bowling Green back in 1984 while Denman accomplished the feat in 2006 against Northern Illinois.

EAGLES WALK-OFF AGAINST UML: The Eagles headed into the bottom of the seventh inning trailing UMASS-Lowell, 3-2, Friday, Feb. 19. They came out with a 4-3 walk-off win. A RBI double by freshman Amanda Akles tied the game at three and brought senior Abby Davidson to the plate for her first at bat of the weekend. With a runner at third and facing a 1-0 count, Davidson singled through the left side to score Akles and give EMU its first win of the season, 4-3.

ON DECK: After returning from the Sunshine State, the Eagles will take a weekend off before treking to Morehead, Ky. for the Morehead State Tournament, March 12-13. There, the Green and White will play St. Bonaventure and Morehead State.

GROWING PAINS: The young Eagles squad committed 17 errors through the first 10 games of the season.

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Players Mentioned

Amanda Akles

Abi Clark

Abby Davidson

Aoife Duffy

Nicolle Miranda

Eastern Michigan Athletics