2008 Woodie Awards
RSSSoftball: Team ready for last away doubleheader
Hawks look to end strong season with a win against Holy Cross College Crusaders.
By Justin Gottlieb
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Sports
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The women's softball team will travel to Worcester, Mass. to take on the Holy Cross College Crusaders Saturday in a doubleheader match up.
The Mountain Hawks have a 28-10-1 record on the season, and are sitting atop the Patriot League standings with a 9-3 league record.
Last place Holy Cross has notched only one league win at 1-7, and is 5-22 on the season.
The series will be the Hawks' last road game.
The Hawks will be led by junior pitcher Lisa Sweeney, who is ranked second on the Patriot League career list for both wins and strikeouts. Sweeney leads the team with a 1.46 ERA and has 17 wins in 23 appearances this season.
Sweeney will also lead the team's offense on Saturday. She leads the team in batting averages with a .402 as well as in hits, with 45, and runs, with 27.
But despite the accolades, Sweeney said the Hawks will rely on each team member to play up to potential in order to secure a win.
"We need each and every member of our team to be prepared for this upcoming weekend for us to be successful," Sweeney said. "All of us are important in our approach to games, especially in Patriot League play."
The Hawks are coming off a weekend series of two consecutive doubleheaders against the Bucknell University Bison. The squad took three of four games from the Bison.
Freshman catcher Carly Potock is expected to contribute to the Hawks' offense as well. Potock hit .500 during last week's games, hitting safely in all six, and is currently on an eight game hitting streak.
Potock is second on the team in runs with 23 and tied for second in hits with 36.
The Crusaders' offense will be led by freshman pitcher Erin Fleming and senior outfielder Jayme Elliott.
Fleming leads the team in runs with 14 and is second on the team in hits with 28.
Elliott leads the team in hits with 31 and is second on the team in runs with 11. She also has the team's highest batting average, with a .337.
The last time these two squads faced off, the Hawks swept the Crusaders, winning all four games and outscoring Holy Cross 29-4.
Game one featured impressive pitching from the Hawks as they held the Crusaders to just one hit. Sophomore pitcher Amanda Audette of the Crusaders went three for three in the game.
The only close game of the four game set was the second game, as the Hawks held off a late surge from Holy Cross to win 5-4.
In the third game the Hawks out-hit the Crusaders 13 to four on route to an 8-0 shutout.
In the series finale, Lehigh again won by an 8-0 mark, scoring five runs in the final two innings to force the eight run rule. This time around, the Hawks are looking for a similar result.
In the 2007 season, Lehigh won the Patriot League title, but faltered in the conference tournament, falling to Colgate University.
Sweeney said this season, the Hawks are looking to end the season on a more successful note, and that every game counts towards achieving that goal.
"We hope to host the Patriot League tournament this year and be strong competitors for the championship," she said.
This weekend's doubleheader will be played in Worchester, Mass. with the first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
The Mountain Hawks have a 28-10-1 record on the season, and are sitting atop the Patriot League standings with a 9-3 league record.
Last place Holy Cross has notched only one league win at 1-7, and is 5-22 on the season.
The series will be the Hawks' last road game.
The Hawks will be led by junior pitcher Lisa Sweeney, who is ranked second on the Patriot League career list for both wins and strikeouts. Sweeney leads the team with a 1.46 ERA and has 17 wins in 23 appearances this season.
Sweeney will also lead the team's offense on Saturday. She leads the team in batting averages with a .402 as well as in hits, with 45, and runs, with 27.
But despite the accolades, Sweeney said the Hawks will rely on each team member to play up to potential in order to secure a win.
"We need each and every member of our team to be prepared for this upcoming weekend for us to be successful," Sweeney said. "All of us are important in our approach to games, especially in Patriot League play."
The Hawks are coming off a weekend series of two consecutive doubleheaders against the Bucknell University Bison. The squad took three of four games from the Bison.
Freshman catcher Carly Potock is expected to contribute to the Hawks' offense as well. Potock hit .500 during last week's games, hitting safely in all six, and is currently on an eight game hitting streak.
Potock is second on the team in runs with 23 and tied for second in hits with 36.
The Crusaders' offense will be led by freshman pitcher Erin Fleming and senior outfielder Jayme Elliott.
Fleming leads the team in runs with 14 and is second on the team in hits with 28.
Elliott leads the team in hits with 31 and is second on the team in runs with 11. She also has the team's highest batting average, with a .337.
The last time these two squads faced off, the Hawks swept the Crusaders, winning all four games and outscoring Holy Cross 29-4.
Game one featured impressive pitching from the Hawks as they held the Crusaders to just one hit. Sophomore pitcher Amanda Audette of the Crusaders went three for three in the game.
The only close game of the four game set was the second game, as the Hawks held off a late surge from Holy Cross to win 5-4.
In the third game the Hawks out-hit the Crusaders 13 to four on route to an 8-0 shutout.
In the series finale, Lehigh again won by an 8-0 mark, scoring five runs in the final two innings to force the eight run rule. This time around, the Hawks are looking for a similar result.
In the 2007 season, Lehigh won the Patriot League title, but faltered in the conference tournament, falling to Colgate University.
Sweeney said this season, the Hawks are looking to end the season on a more successful note, and that every game counts towards achieving that goal.
"We hope to host the Patriot League tournament this year and be strong competitors for the championship," she said.
This weekend's doubleheader will be played in Worchester, Mass. with the first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
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