Feb. 24, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team will host its second home game Wednesday afternoon against in-state rival Troy University. The Trojans lead the series with the Bulldogs, 17-36, after winning all three meetings between the two teams last season. Samford hopes to begin to close the gap again on Wednesday with a win.
Samford (5-5) comes off a weekend in which it went 2-3 in the UTEP Invitational in El Paso, Tex. During the four-day tournament, Samford played five games in three of those days and came out victorious in two of them. The Bulldogs defeated Northern Colorado, 3-2, on Friday and San Jose State, 6-1, on Sunday.
"Overall, I was pleased with our performance this weekend," Samford head coach Beanie Ketcham said. "I knew we would be a little rusty after not playing in the Bulldog Bash and it showed a bit early in the weekend, but they really picked it up on Sunday and we finished on a good note. Everyone pulled their weight this weekend and stepped up at one time or another with a key hit or play."
The Bulldogs were led this weekend by senior Kristy Lawrence who extended her hitting streak to five. She posted a .615 average at the plate, going eight for 13 with two homeruns and also had four RBI, all of which came on the last day of play. The first baseman totaled 40 pickoffs, committing only one error.
For the season, senior Jessica Owens leads the Bulldogs so far. Boasting 17 hits and four-game hitting streak, Owens has gathered nine of those hits in the past four games. She leads the Bulldogs with a .567 batting average and has totaled 20 bases so far this season.
Freshman Amy Gonzalez, who leads the Bulldogs with a perfect 4-4 in stolen bases, was moved to second base this weekend after playing the first five games of the season at shortstop. Amanda Jordan stepped in a shortstop and to duo gave Samford a new dynamic over the weekend.
"Amanda and Amy were a new combination up the middle for us," Ketcham said, "but they seemed to work well together. We are improving and building our confidence with each game so I look forward to the new challenges ahead this week starting with Troy on Wednesday."
Troy (9-5) comes off a weekend in which they fell to South Carolina in the championship game of the Gamecock Invitational by a score of 5-1. The Trojans have won two of their last four games. Troy is led by Heidi Johnson with a .364 average, 16 hits, 11 RBI, three doubles, two triples and one homerun.
"Troy has a very good softball program and is always a formidable opponent and tough in state rival," Ketcham said. "If we play our game, we should give ourselves a chance to win. Preparation and execution are keys for us. If we do those things with excellence, we can play with anyone."
First pitch for Wednesday matchup is 4 p.m. Fans can follow all the action on live stats or on SoCon TV. The game will also be broadcast locally on WVSU 91.1. Air time is set for 3:45 p.m. A full recap and results will be available upon the completion of the game at www.samfordsports.com.
