April 1, 2011

LIVE STATS: Game One | Game Two | Game Three

Stony Brook, N.Y. - In search of their first conference victory of the season, the Stony Brook softball team will host UMBC for a three-game series this weekend at University Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Stony Brook is powered offensively by freshman Jess Combs (Hammonton, N.J.), who raised her average to .313 with a pair of hits on Wednesday. With a single in each game against Sacred Heart, Combs has now hit safely in 12 consecutive games. Junior Bernadette Tenuto (Audubon, N.J.) leads the team with nine RBI and is tied for the team lead in HR (2) with Combs and freshman Elise Fortier (Coventry, R.I.). Senior Colleen Matthes (Severn, Md.) leads the team with a 3.32 ERA and 80 strikeouts in the circle.

UMBC
Picked to finish sixth in the America East preseason poll, the Retrievers are off to a 14-12 start overall, including an 0-3 mark in conference play after dropping three games to Maine last weekend. UMBC features a high-powered offense (.300 team batting average) as seven players boast at least 12 RBI. The Retrievers are led by Lauren Brummell and Julie Culotta, who are each hitting .385 and have combined for nine HR and 39 RBI. In the circle, Stephanie Weigman (3.61 ERA) has appeared in 15 games and has posted an 8-7 record with 75 strikeouts. The Seawolves are 14-10 all-time against UMBC and swept the Retrievers in three games last season.

Last Time Out
The Seawolves split a pair of games against Sacred Heart on Wednesday, winning the first game by a score of 3-0 and dropping game two by a 12-2 count. Matthes was dominant in the opening game as the senior went the distance and fanned eight batters for her sixth win of the season. The Seawolves plated all of their runs in the game courtesy of doubles from sophomore Gina Bianculli (Oakdale, N.Y.) and Tenuto.