April 29, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford softball team will hit the road for the last time in the regular season this weekend as it travels to Greensboro, N.C., to take on the Spartans of UNCG. Saturday's doubleheader will start at 12 p.m. CT while Sunday's game will also begin at 12 p.m. CT.
It has been a week since Samford saw action on the diamond as the Bulldogs' game with Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday was cancelled due to threatening weather over Mississippi and Alabama.
The last time out in league play, the Bulldogs suffered a sweep by Appalachian State. The Mountaineers shut out Samford, 9-0, in the first game, took an 8-4 win in the second game and edged out the Bulldogs, 2-1, in the third game.
Samford (11-34, 7-11 SoCon), who is currently ranked seventh in the SoCon standings, looks to move up in the rankings this weekend if it can take the series from UNCG. The Bulldogs are tied with the Spartans in the standings while their remaining opponent, College of Charleston sits in fourth place. With a series win in the next two weeks, Samford can move up in the rankings and earn a better seed in the conference tournament.
Robyn Harmon continues to lead all Bulldog starters in batting with a .297 average at the plate. She hit her fourth home run of the year in game two against the Mountaineers last weekend and she is second on the team behind Amanda Jordan in RBI with 16. Jordan boasts 17 RBI. Harmon also leads the team, along with Kayla Shaffer, in hits with 30. Shaffer also leads the Bulldogs in runs scored with 20 and stolen bases with seven.
Kayla Burris (8-14), Samford's weekend starter for the first and third games, still leads all pitchers with a 4.45 ERA. She boasts 91 strikeouts in 140 innings of work. She has started 23 of Samford's 45 games played and has pitched 16 complete games, including two shutouts.
Emily Waters (0-2), who has made nine appearances in the circle this season, holds the second-best ERA on the team (4.48). Nicole Bobrowski (2-8) follows with a 4.72 ERA. She boasts 26 strikeouts in 69.2 innings of work, and has started nine games. She has also pitched four complete games including one shutout.
UNCG (21-27, 7-11 SoCon) has won one of its last nine conference matchups. The Spartans were swept by Chattanooga at the beginning of April and took one of three from Appalachian State two weeks ago. Last weekend, the Spartans were swept again by Georgia Southern on the road, so UNCG will be looking to snap a three-game skid in the league just like the Bulldogs.
The Spartans have four players batting over .300. Kaitlin Merkt leads the pack with a .333 average and is also leading the team in RBI with 36, runs scored with 28 and home runs with nine. Alex Emeterio follows with a .331 average while leading the team with 47 hits on the year. Katelyn Bedwell (.329) and Jordan Jewett (.322) are right behind while Aisha Figueroa is the Spartans' leading base stealer with 19 on 21 attempts.
Cory Mattson (11-12) is UNCG's best pitcher, boasting an ERA of 3.96 and leading the Spartans in strikeouts with 90 in 164.1 innings of work. She currently holds opponents to a collective .266 average at the plate. She has pitched 17 complete games including two shutouts. She also boasts three saves on the year. Josie Felix (5-12) follows with a 4.87 ERA. She and Raeanne Hanks each have 32 strikeouts on the year.
Fans can follow all of the action between the Spartans and the Bulldogs via live stats and video streaming through links at www.samfordsports.com and www.uncgspartans.com. A full recap and box score will also be posted at the conclusion of each day's games on www.samfordsports.com.
