March 9, 2010

Center Valley, Pa.—All six Patriot League teams have commenced the 2010 softball season. Off to a fast start is Colgate, which picked up wins in its first six contests. Leading the Raiders has been sophomore Jennifer Ortega, who opened the season with hits in each of Colgate’s first six outings. Ortega now has a 12-game hitting streak dating back to last season. Ortega is one of three players to claim an award during the Patriot League’s first batch of weekly honors.

Patriot League Player of the Week
Jennifer Ortega, Colgate So., SS, Aberdeen, N.J.
Ortega hit safely in all six of Colgate’s games last week, giving her a 12-game hitting streak dating back to last season. She had three home runs during the week, moving her into a tie for sixth place among Colgate’s all-time career leaders. During last week’s action, Ortega batted .611 with 10 RBI and six extra-base hits. She also stole seven bases. It is the first time in her career that Ortega has been named Patriot League Player of the Week.

Patriot League Pitcher of the Week
Jessi Muckelroy, Army Sr., P, Houston, Texas
Muckelroy allowed just one run in 13.2 innings of work last week. She went the distance in Army’s 5-0 win over George Washington, allowing just five hits while striking out six batters. Her six strikeouts were one short of a career high. She struck out three batters while tossing 6.2 innings in the Black Knights’ 1-0 loss to the Colonials. For the week, Muckelroy tallied a 0.51 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. It is the second time she has been named Patriot League Pitcher of the Week.

Patriot League Rookie of the Week
Bridget Gates, Bucknell Fr., P, Milford, Conn.
Gates went 2-0 during her first two collegiate outings. She did not allow a run in 10 innings of work. Gates got the start against Marist, going the distance in the Bison’s 11-0 victory. She struck out one batter while scattering three hits and walking just one. Gates again got the start in Bucknell’s 6-1 over George Mason, tossing five scoreless innings. For the week, Gates allowed just seven hits and three walks.

Honorable Mention Performances Last Week

Jennae Tomlinson, Army
Sr., OF, Lima, Ohio
Batted a team-best .462 in four games. Recorded multiple-hit efforts against Canisius and George Washington.

Sherry Finkel, Bucknell
Sr., OF/U, Morgantown, W.Va.
Was 6-for-12 at the plate with four RBI. Had three extra-base hits, giving her a .917 slugging percentage.

Jesse McCarrick, Colgate
Sr., P, Oak Hill, Va.
Went 3-0 in four appearances. Went the distance in Colgate’s 3-1 win over Norfolk State, allowing one unearned run in seven innings.

Caitlin Belanger, Holy Cross
Jr., P, Fall River, Mass.
Notched a win and two saves at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. Allowed just five earned runs in 23.2 innings of work. Struck out 15 while walking just four.

Christina Giambrone, Lafayette
Sr., SS, Blairstown, N.J.
Batted .500 with two home runs and six RBI in four games over the weekend. Drove in a season-high four runs in the Leopards’ loss to St. Bonaventure.

Patriot League Notebook

Off and Running
All six Patriot League teams have begun the 2010 season, and all six have notched victories. Five of the League’s six teams have multiple wins, while four have .500 records or better. Colgate leads the way with a 5-1 mark.

The Week Ahead
Patriot League teams will continue seeking warm weather. Lehigh and Colgate will compete in the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. Lafayette will later join the Mountain Hawks and Raiders in Florida, competing in the same event. Bucknell will venture south as well, though not as far as the other squads. The Bison will travel to the UMBC DAWG Pound Classic in Baltimore, Md. Army will become the first Patriot League team to play a home game this season. The Black Knights are slated to host Siena for a doubleheader on Thursday. Holy Cross will not compete again until March 16. The Crusaders’ next trip will not be a southward journey. Instead, Holy Cross will make the trip to Smithfield, R.I. to take on Bryant.

Bombs Away
Lafayette senior Christina Giambrone, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, continues to crank out home runs. In four games at the Norfolk State Classic, Giambrone belted two round-trippers, giving her 29 career home runs. With one more blast, Giambrone would become the fourth player in the history of the Patriot League to record at least 30 career home runs. She would also tie Colgate’s Melissa Rawson (2000-03) for third place on the League’s all-time charts. She is 10 home runs away from catching Colgate’s Dorothy Donaldson (2002-05) for the all-time Patriot League record.

Welcome to the League
The Patriot League’s newest head coaches each picked up their first victories during the opening week of action. Michelle DePolo’s Army squad tallied a 5-0 victory over George Washington, giving her the first win of her career. Jaime Wallin, who previously served as the head coach at Sonoma State (Calif.), started her tenure at Lafayette with a 2-2 weekend at the Norfolk State Classic. Wallin’s Leopards defeated Niagara and host Norfolk State.

Team Notebooks

Army The Black Knights opened the season by going 1-3 at the Colonial Classic in Washington, D.C. Army’s win over George Washington was the program’s first victory over the Colonials since the teams’ inaugural meeting in 2005, snapping a four-game losing streak in the series. Eight of Army’s hits during the weekend went for extra bases, including two triples and a home run. Jennae Tomlinson batted .462 during the weekend, getting multiple-hit games against Canisius and George Washington. The Black Knights will open their home slate on Thursday against Siena.

Bucknell The Bison started the 2010 season with two wins in four contests at the George Mason Invitational. Bucknell topped Marist and host George Mason while falling to Cornell twice. Against Marist, Sherry Finkel hit her first home run since her sophomore season. For the weekend, Finkel batted .500 with three extra-base hits and a four RBI and a .917 slugging percentage. Freshman Bridget Gates got the win in each of Bucknell’s triumphs. She did not allow a run in 10 innings of action. The Bison will play four games at the UMBC DAWG Pound Classic starting Friday.

Colgate The Raiders are off to a League-best 5-1 start. Colgate swept a doubleheader against Hampton before taking three of four games at the Norfolk State Classic. Jesse McCarrick got three of the pitching wins, allowing seven earned runs in her four appearances. Natalie Siedhof blasted her first career home run in the Raiders’ 3-1 win over Norfolk State. With the score tied at 1-1 in the fifth inning, Siedhof ripped a two-run home run to provide the difference in the contest. Sophomore Jennifer Ortega batted .611 during the weekend, getting hits in all six games. She now has a 12-game hitting streak dating back to last season. The Raiders will play 12 games at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. starting Friday.

Holy Cross The Crusaders began the season with nine games in five days at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. Holy Cross won their final three games at the event, giving the Crusaders a 4-5 overall record. Caitlin Belanger went 3-2 in the pitching circle, allowing just five runs in 23.2 innings of work. Sam Fregenti recorded her first career hit in the Crusaders’ season-opening win over Dayton. She finished the week with a .381 batting average and a .524 slugging percentage. Elizabeth Foley went 5-for-12 in Florida and leads the team with a .417 batting average. Holy Cross will not play again until a March 16 meeting with Bryant.

Lafayette The Leopards are 2-2 after the opening weekend of competition. Reigning Patriot League Player of the Year Christina Giambrone batted .500 with two home runs and six RBI. Giambrone is now one home run away from becoming the fourth player in Patriot League history to notch 30 career home runs. Senior Kasey Karr recorded both of the Leopards’ pitching wins, going the distance in both games. Karr struck out 15 batters while allowing just four earned runs. Karr also blasted a home run in Lafayette’s 5-4 triumph over Niagara. The Leopards’ Wednesday doubleheader against Rider has been postponed. Lafayette will next compete in the Rebel Spring Games. The Leopards will play eight games in four days starting on March 15.

Lehigh The Mountain Hawks have played more games than any other Patriot League team. Lehigh is 6-4 through 10 games. The Mountain Hawks have won three of their past four outings, including a sweep on Monday. Lehigh has played two games in one day on five separate occasions this season. Monday’s sweep was the first time that Lehigh did not alternate wins and losses. Sophomore Julie Fernandez leads the team with a .471 batting average. Senior Tiffany Curtis is 4-0 with a 3.00 ERA in the pitching circle. The Mountain Hawks will remain in Florida for four more games at the Rebel Spring Games.