March 18, 2011

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Winners of three straight games, the Stony Brook softball team will open the home portion of their 2011 schedule this weekend when they host Holy Cross and Fairfield in the sixth-annual Stony Brook Invitational.

The Seawolves (5-8) enter the weekend on a roll after consecutive victories over North Carolina State, Charleston Southern and James Madison at the N.C. State Wolfpack Challenge on March 11-12. Senior pitcher Colleen Matthes (Severn, Md.) posted a 2-0 record and a 1.31 ERA in 16 innings last weekend and was named the America East Pitcher of the Week for her efforts. Freshman Elise Fortier (Coventry, R.I.) was also honored by the conference as the Rookie of the Week after batting .417 with a pair of RBI doubles over the weekend. Junior Bernadette Tenuto (Audubon, N.J.) leads the Seawolves with a .306 batting average and six RBI, while sophomore Taylor Chain (Gloucester, N.J.) owns a team-best 3.05 ERA .

Holy Cross Crusaders (4-6)
Competing in its third consecutive Stony Brook Invitational, Holy Cross played 10 contests at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. to open the season. The Crusaders defeated La Salle, Wagner, Manhattan and Yale to account for their four wins. Caitlin Belanger paces the Holy Cross offense with an impressive .486 batting average to go along with one HR and six RBI. Belanger also leads the Crusaders with four stolen bases and nine runs scored. The team boasts a collective 2.58 ERA, led by Julia Barrett (0.93) and Kali Haas (1.52).

Fairfield Stags (5-6)
Like the Seawolves, the Stags also won three games at the N.C. State Wolfpack Challenge, including a 4-1 decision over Stony Brook. Fairfield beat James Madison, Charleston Southern and Maine, but fell to N.C. State at the tournament. Alli Wigand leads the offense with a .433 batting average (13-for-30), including one HR and eight RBI. Tiffany Lawson owns a team-best five stolen bases.

Tournament Schedule:

Saturday, March 19
Fairfield vs. Holy Cross, 10:30 a.m. LIVE STATS
Holy Cross at Stony Brook, 12:30 p.m. LIVE STATS
Fairfield at Stony Brook, 2:30 p.m. LIVE STATS

Sunday, March 20
Fairfield at Stony Brook, 10:30 a.m. LIVE STATS
Fairfield vs. Holy Cross, 12:30 p.m. LIVE STATS
Holy Cross at Stony Brook, 2:30 p.m. LIVE STATS