May 7, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team will close out regular-season play Saturday and Sunday as it plays host to Southern Conference foe UNC Greensboro. The Bulldogs will honor their four seniors - Amanda Barrs, Katie England, Stephanie Royall and Rachael Reeves - prior to Sunday's series closer. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. at Bulldog Field while Sunday's game may start a few minutes late due to the senior presentation.
Samford needs just three wins to capture its seventh 20-win season under the tutelage of head coach Beanie Ketcham and the 15th in the program's 23 years. UNC Greensboro needs just three more wins to have a winning season.
Samford (17-30, 8-13 SoCon) comes off its first-ever sweep in the Southern Conference and its first sweep of the season. The Bulldogs took all three games from Western Carolina last weekend by scores of 10-4, 9-0 and 9-1. Samford has won four of its last seven contests and currently rides its longest win streak (3) of the season.
Last week the Bulldogs were led by seniors Katie England and current SoCon Pitcher of the Week Amanda Barrs. England batted .538 over four games and tallied five runs on seven hits with three doubles, one home run and five RBI. She also was a perfect 2-for-2 on stolen base attempts. In game two on Saturday, England was 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs and two RBI and on Sunday, she went 3-for-4 with one run and two RBI.
Barrs earned two of Samford's three victories in the circle at Western Carolina and posted a 0.60 ERA. She allowed just nine hits and one earned run in 11.2 innings of work while fanning two batters. In Samford's 9-0 win at Western Carolina Saturday, Barrs pitched five innings, giving up four hits and no earned runs. She returned Sunday and allowed five hits and one earned run in six innings. The Bulldogs won 9-1 and captured their first series sweep of the season.
UNC Greensboro (24-26, 11-9, SoCon) comes into the weekend after a three-game league series with top-ranked Chattanooga. After falling in the first two contests, 3-2 and 6-2, the Spartans were able to end the weekend on a strong note by shutting out the Lady Mocs, 3-0, on Sunday. The Spartans have won three of their last seven games.
UNCG is led by Alex Emeterio, last week's SoCon Player of the Week. Emeterio is the only Spartan to start all 50 games and boasts a .380 batting average. She also leads in runs (29) and hits (57) and is second on the team in RBI (30). Eileen Horsman is second on the team in hitting with a.319 average at the plate. Kaitlyn Merkt leads the Spartans with eight home runs while Brittany Ausley boasts a team-high 13 doubles.
Amber Harrell leads the Spartans in the circle. A three-time SoCon Pitcher of the Week, Harrell boasts a 2.85 ERA and a 12-13 record. In 169.2 innings of play, she has recorded 177 strikeouts and pitched three shutouts and earned one save. Cory Mattson is just behind with a 2.92 ERA and a 10-12 record. Mattson has posted 118 strikeouts in 129.2 innings and had given up just 54 earned runs on the year.
Fans can follow all of the games via FREE live video streaming at www.samfordsports.com. A full recap and stats will be posted on www.samfordsports.com upon the completion of each day's games.
