April 5, 2007

Setting the Scene... The Pioneer softball team opens their home schedule as they host Wagner Friday and Long Island Saturday at Pioneer Park. Friday's game is set for 2:00 pm and will be broadcast on SacredHeartPioneers.com. Saturday's game is set for 1:00 pm. The Pioneers have had their last two games postponed by rain after splitting a twinbill with Robert Morris last Saturday in Pittsburgh. SHU returns home with a 6-12 record and a 1-1 mark in NEC play.

Pioneers Split Pair in PA... The Pioneers split a pair of doubleheaders, winning nightcaps at Seton Hall and Robert Morris. Junior Megan Spehar tossed two complete games, allowing only two earned runs and striking out nine in the SHU victories. Sophomores Betsy Harvey and Amanda Bradley powered the offensive, combining for eight RBI and five runs scored.

Last Year vs Wagner... Megan Spehar threw a complete game shutout and freshman Betsy Harvey drove in a run and scored another as Sacred Heart rallied for a 2-0 win in game two and a doubleheader split with Wagner in softball action last year at Pioneer Park. The Seahawks took the opener 2-1.

Scouting the Seahawks... Wagner arrives in Fairfield for a holiday matinee sporting an 8-12 early season and an 0-2 mark in league play. The Seahawks dropped a pair of games to LIU in their NEC opener last weekend. Junior Katie Stevens is Wagner's leading hitter with a .349 batting average and a team leading 12 RBI. Jaclyn Vanore and Ami Iwicki each are hitting over .260 with 10 RBI apiece. In the circle, freshman Kate Eshelman has a team leading four wins and a 3.33 ERA in 54.2 innings. Senior Christina Hopkins has a team best 2.92 ERA.

Last Year vs Long Island... Long Island University junior Randi Gillespie went a combined 4-for-6 with seven RBI to lift the Blackbirds to 9-0 and 9-2 victories over Sacred Heart in the Northeast Conference opener for both teams.

Scouting the Blackbirds... The NEC preseason favorite Long Island starts the weekend with a 2-0 rNEC record after a sweep of Wagner last weekend. Senior Randi Gillespie is the Blackbirds leading hitter, sporting a.455 batting average on the season. She also leads the team in RBI, 13, doubles, 10, and home runs with four. Freshman Raylene Asman also has 13 RBI on the season. Jenny Giles and Blaise Porter are the Blackbirds only pitchers, each appearing in 21 games. Giles has eight wins and a 2.28 ERA while Porter has won seven games and posted a 3.07 ERA

Spehar Huge.. The Pioneers ace is picther is junior Megan Spehar. The righthander, who is also a good offensive player, is 5-4 on the season in eight starts, pitching 59.2 innings. She is averaging almost one strikeout per inning. Last year she posted a team leading six wins from the circle last year, posting a 3.56 ERA. She threw a 93.2 innings, the most of any Pioneer hurler, allowing just 37 hits while striking-out a team leading 87 batters while walking just 35. At the plate, Spehar drove in 10 runs and had 12 doubles.

Super Sophs... In addition to their seniors, the Pioneer line-up will be anchored by a pair of sophomores who made an immediate impact in their rookie seasons, Amanda Bradley and Betsy Harvey . The Pioneer second baseman, Harvey is tied for the team lead in hitting, with a .288 mark. She and Bradley each have seven RBI on the season, second on the team.

Gametracker... All Pioneer home games will feature the Gametracker feature this season. Fans can follow all the action of by visiting SacredHeartPioneers.com and clicking on the Gametracker link on the softball schedule page.

Up Next... The Pioneers visit Dartmouth and Yale this week before traveling to Mount St. Mary's and Monmouth to continue NEC play next weekend.