Feb. 25, 2009

Center Valley, Pa.--Lehigh started the season by sweeping the first batch of Patriot League weekly awards. Senior Lisa Sweeney, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year and Patriot League Pitcher of the Year, was named Patriot League Player of the Week and Patriot League Pitcher of the Week. Her teammate, Julie Fernandez, was tabbed Patriot League Rookie of the Week.

Patriot League Softball Release 2.25.09

Patriot League Player of the Week

Lisa Sweeney, Lehigh Sr., P/UT, Lumberton, N.J. Sweeney drove in nine runs in Lehigh's first four games of the season. She batted .400 with a 1.300 slugging percentage and a .625 on-base percentage. She homered twice in the Mountain Hawks' 16-4 win on Friday against Gardner-Webb, the first of which was a three-run blast to tie the game. It was the first multiple-home run game for a Lehigh player since Alex Cueva went yard twice against Penn on March 25, 2008. Sweeney belted three more home runs, including a grand slam, in the Mountain Hawks' 16-11 loss to Gardner-Webb on Saturday. She now has 19 career home runs, two shy of a school record. The only game in which Sweeney did not record a base hit was in Saturday's early contest when she drew four walks in the Mountain Hawks' 7-5 victory over Gardner-Webb.

Patriot League Pitcher of the Week

Lisa Sweeney, Lehigh Sr., Lumberton, N.J. Sweeney earned wins in both of her starts over the weekend. She went the distance in both games, totaling 19 strikeouts compared to just three walks. She now has 73 career wins and 706 career strikeouts. She notched her 700th career strikeout on Saturday against Gardner-Webb.

Patriot League Rookie of the Week Julie Fernandez, Lehigh Fr., 1B, Moorpark, Calif. Fernandez batted .308 with a .846 slugging percentage and a .400 on-base percentage while helping Lehigh go 3-1 over the weekend. She hit two home runs, both of which tied games that Lehigh eventually won. She also scored a run in all four games. Defensively, Fernandez made 19 putouts at first base without an error.

Honorable Mention Performances Last Week

Jessi Muckelroy, Army Jr., P, Houston, Texas Pitched in four games, helping Army pick up its first win of the season, Went the distance for the first time in her career, recording a 5-0 shutout win over UNC Wilmington. Posted a career-high four strikeouts in the decision. Currently holds a 3.38 ERA and eight strikeouts.

Allison Ford, Bucknell So., 1B/3B/DH, Suison, Calif. Batted .545 with a double and a triple in four games last week. Scored four runs and drove in four more. Is currently batting .400 in 10 games this season. Leads the team in at-bats (30), runs (9), hits (12), RBI (9) and total bases (20).

Patriot League Notebook

Lehigh Picked To Win 10th Patriot League Crown Lehigh was a unanimous selection to win its 10th Patriot League softball championship. The Mountain Hawks received 10 first-place votes, the most possible, in a preseason poll of the Patriot League's coaches and sports information directors. Coaches and SIDs were not allowed to vote for their own team. Lafayette received one first-place vote and was tabbed to finish second. Bucknell received the other first-place vote and was picked to finish third. Colgate, the last team to defeat Lehigh for the Patriot League crown, was fourth in the poll, followed by Army and Holy Cross.

Half and Half Half of the Patriot League's six teams have begun the 2009 season. Army and Bucknell were the first teams to begin competition, starting on February 13. Lehigh joined them last weekend, playing four games. Colgate and Holy Cross will begin play this weekend. Lafayette will be the last team to start its season, waiting until March 7. The Leopards will play two games in Virginia, first battling James Madison before meeting Virginia.

Double Duty Lehigh senior pitcher Lisa Sweeney became the first Patriot League player to earn both Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year honors last season. She has continued the trend this season, earning the first Pitcher of the Week and Player of the Week honors.

Travel Agent Required As is customary this time of year, Patriot League teams are hitting the road for warmer temperatures. All six teams will spend part of March in Florida for various tournaments. The first Patriot League team to host a game this season will be Army. The Black Knights will welcome Fairleigh Dickinson to West Point on March 10.

Carolina On My Mind Through Sunday, Patriot League teams have played in four tournaments this season. Of those, three have been in North Carolina. Bucknell, which has played in North Carolina twice this season, will return for another dose of the Tar Heel State this weekend. The Bison will play in the Elon Tournament starting Saturday.

Veterans At The Helm All six Patriot League coaches are back in the fold this season. Army head coach Jim Flowers is the most senior of the group. Flowers is in his 19th season at West Point. Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan, in his 14th year with the Mountain Hawks, has the most wins among Patriot League coaches with 439. Holy Cross head coach Brian Claypool is the newest coach of the bunch. Claypool will begin his second season as the head Crusader on Sunday in Kissimmee, Fla.

2009 Patriot League Championship The 2009 Patriot League Softball Championship will take place Thursday-Saturday, May 7-9 at the site of the highest seed. The top four teams in the regular-season standings will advance to the Patriot League tournament. The winner of the championship will represent the Patriot League in the NCAA Tournament as its automatic qualifier. Lehigh is the defending Patriot League Champion.

Team Notebooks

Army Army became the first team to start the 2009 season with five games at the Green & White Classic in Charlotte, N.C. The Black Knights went 1-4 at the tournament, including a 5-0 win over UNC Wilmington. It was just the second win of junior pitcher Jessi Muckelroy's career. Muckelroy went the distance to pick up her first career shutout. She also posted a career-high four strikeouts in the victory. It was Army's earliest shutout win in a season since the Black Knights blanked George Mason to open the 2003 season. Junior Cassie Ellington paced the Army lineup. She batted .273 and scored four runs. She hit her first home run of the season, and the second of her career, in the Black Knights' 4-1 loss to UNC Greensboro. Making her first collegiate apperances, freshman Alexis AuBuchon batted .286 with four extra-base hits and one RBI in five games. After a 20-day break, Army will resume competition on March 7 at the Colonial Classic in Washington, D.C.

Bucknell The Bison have played more games than any other Patriot League squad so far. Bucknell is currently 5-5 after 10 games. The Bison went 1-3 at the Campbell Tournament and 2-2 at the Longwood Tournament, while also sweeping a double-header against North Carolina Central. Sophomore Allison Ford batted .545 at the Longwood Tournament. She currently owns a .400 batting average. She leads the team with nine runs, 12 hits, nine RBI, 20 total bases and 30 at-bats. Senior pitcher Katie McDonald has recorded four of the Bison's five wins in the pitching circle. Two of her wins have come in relief. Bucknell will remain on the road until March 25, when the Bison host Drexel for their first home games of the season. Before making its home debut, Bucknell will play at the Elon Tournament in North Carolina and the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla.

Colgate Colgate will open the season on Friday at the Florida Gulf Coast Spring Break Tournament.

Holy Cross Holy Cross will begin its season on Sunday at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimme, Fla.

Lafayette The Leopards will open the 2009 campaign in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Lafayette will play at James Madison on March 7 before battling Virginia in Charlottesville on March 8.

Lehigh Defending Patriot League champion Lehigh took three of four games at the Gardner-Webb Tournament last weekend. The Mountain Hawks won their first three contests, before falling to host Gardner-Webb in the finale. Lisa Sweeney, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, displayed her prowess on both ends once again. She picked up two wins in the pitching circle, striking out 19 batters in 14 innings of work. She now has 73 career wins and 706 career strikeouts. She collected her 700th career strikeout in the Mountain Hawks' 7-5 win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday. Sweeney also batted .400 at the tournament with a 1.300 slugging percentage. She blasted five home runs, including three in the final game of the tournament. She had two home runs in the Mountain Hawks' second game of the tournament, marking the first time a Lehigh player had recorded a multiple-home run game since Alex Cueva did so against Penn on March 25, 2008. Sweeney now has 19 career home runs, two shy of a school record. A pair of freshmen notched home runs, as well. Julie Fernandez hit her first two career home runs, while Jen Colquhoun blasted a walk-off home run in the Mountain Hawks' 7-5 win against Gardner-Webb on Saturday.