April 17, 2009

BULLDOGS TRAVEL TO TAKE ON INTRASTATE RIVAL, URI,
SATURDAY AFTERNOON (1 PM)

Live Stats vs. URI

SMITHFIELD, R.I.- Playing in their first game since April 7, the Bryant University softball team will travel to URI to take on the Rams on Saturday afternoon for the second meeting this season between the two squads. The Bulldogs will be returning from an 11-day layoff after having their doubleheader with Albany moved to April 29. URI won the first meeting between the two schools, edging out Bryant in nine innings by a final of 3-2.

BULLDOGS BATTLE HUSKIES TOUGH
Their last time out, the Bulldogs played a close game with UConn, falling to the Huskies 2-1. Bryant held a 1-0 advantage thanks to a home run from Ali Chouinard (Swansea, Mass.) until the top of the sixth inning, when the Huskies struck for two runs to escape with the victory. The second run scored on a run-down with two outs in the inning, following a strikeout by Samantha Houseal (Mount Joy, Pa.) with a runner on third. Bryant fell to 2-6 in one-run games on the year, as the Bulldogs have played many top-level Division I teams tough all year.

WALLACE GETS WIN NUMBER 200
With a, 4-0, victory over Central Connecticut in game one of a doubleheader on Wednesday, Bryant head coach Lisa-Ann Wallace got her 200th win with the Bulldog softball program. The all-time winningest coach in the history of the program, Wallace now has a record of 202-194-1 in her ninth season at the helm. Houseal came within one out of pitching a perfect game in the contest, surrendering a two out double in the bottom of the seventh to end the bid but still get the complete game shutout.

MOVING ON UP
Samantha Houseal set the record for most strikeouts in a season against Central Connecticut on April 1, setting down 15 batters on strikes in two games to give her 149 for the year, surpassing the old record of 148 held by Janine Enos. Houseal has added ten more punch-outs since then, including four against UConn to give her 159 for the year and 238 for her career, which ranks third all-time. The sophomore has thrown 184.2 of a possible 216.1 innings for the Bulldogs this season, the second most by a Bryant pitcher in a year, behind Nicole Keene's mark of 191 innings.

FRESH FACES
Freshmen Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.) and Lauren McCart (Vorhees, N.J.) have played side-by-side in the outfield for the majority of the season, with Martin starting 25 games in left field and McCart playing 29 games in center. Martin leads the team in hitting with a .278 average, registering six hits in her last 15 at-bats with a home run and four RBI. McCart is third on the team in hitting with a .239 average with five doubles. She has put together four hits (all doubles) in her last 12 at-bats.

BEHIND THE DISH
Ashley Coon (Levittown, Pa.) enters Saturday's game with a four-game hitting streak. The junior catcher is four-for-11 in that stretch and currently leads the team in doubles with six while starting in all 33 games behind the plate. Over the last eight games, Coon has hit .308 with a home run and five RBI to help Bryant to three wins in that stretch.

SENIORS GET IT GOING
Senior Stephanie Mirando (North Haven, Conn.) has a three-game hitting streak going into Saturday's contest at URI. Mirando has hit safely in seven of the last eight games, posting a team-best .333 batting average in that stretch with four RBI. Fellow senior Anne Dobmeier (Buffalo, N.Y.) has also been solid over the last eight games, recording seven hits in her last 22 at-bats with two long balls and five RBI.

SCOUTING THE RAMS
The Bulldogs and Rams will meet for the second and final time this season, with URI winning the first battle in Smithfield by a final of 4-3 in nine innings. URI has gone 2-12 since knocking off Bryant, coming off a sweep of a doubleheader over Hartford on Tuesday. The Rams play two against Quinnipiac on Wednesday and another doubleheader against Providence on Thursday before welcoming Bryant to Kingston on Saturday.

Courtney Prendergrastt and Darci Borden did the damage in the first meeting this season, combining to go five-for-six with two RBI on the day. Predergrastt leads the team with a .333 average and 15 RBI. Allison Hartzell, who got the win in relief in the first meeting, has been the team's best pitcher with a 3.28 ERA in 23 appearances.