March 23, 2009

Center Valley, Pa.--After a strong week, Colgate finds itself as the lone Patriot League team with a winning record. The Raiders are not the only surging team in the League, however. Army has won six of its last seven in the final week before Patriot League competition. All six teams will open League play on Saturday.

Patriot League Softball Release 3.23.09

Patriot League Player of the Week (Mar. 16-22)

Christina Giambrone, Lafayete Jr., SS, Blairstown, N.J.

Giambrone batted .375 with four home runs and 10 RBI in eight games last week. She had three multi-hit games and three contests with at least two RBI. She blasted home runs on consecutive at-bats in the Leopards' 5-1 win against Green Bay. Six of Giambrone's nine hits were for extra bases. For the week, Giambrone put together a .711 slugging percentage.

Patriot League Pitcher of the Week (Mar. 16-22)

Jessi Muckelroy, Army Jr., P, Houston, Texas

Muckelroy posted a 0.27 ERA while pitching Army to four of its six victories last week. Two of her four victories were shutouts, as Muckelroy went the distance in three of her four outings. She gave up just one earned run all week.

Patriot League Rookie of the Week (Mar. 16-22)

Jennifer Ortega, Colgate Fr., SS, Aberdeen, N.J.

Ortega was picked up her second consecutive Patriot League Rookie of the Week honor after batting .412 with five runs, three RBI and her first collegiate home run last week. She extended her hitting streak to eight games, hitting safely in all six of the Raiders' contests. She scored the game-tying run in Colgate's 2-1 win over Hartford and hit a walk-off game-winning double in the Raiders' 3-2 win against Columbia.

Honorable Mention Performances Last Week

Erin McClain, Army Jr., C/3B, Ventura, Calif.

Batted .455 with five RBI in eight games. Had two multi-hit games to help Army go 6-2. Also walked five times, leaving her one shy of mbreaking into Army's top 10 for career walks.

Tiana Tyeskey, Colgate Sr., 2B, Granite Bay, Calif.

Batted .412 with six runs, five RBI and three doubles in six games. Scored game-winning runs against Fairleigh Dickinson and Hartford.

Tiffany Medwid, Holy Cross So., SS, Imperial, Pa.

Batted .409 with three RBI and two runs. Also stole two bases. Had two multi-hit games, including a three-hit effort in an 11-3 win against Bryant.

Tiana Tyeskey, Colgate

Sr., 2B, Granite Bay, Calif.

Batted .412 with six runs, five RBI and three doubles in six games. Scored game-winning runs against Fairleigh Dickinson and Hartford.

Patriot League Notebook

In Review Colgate, which went 4-2 last week, is now the only Patriot League team with a winning record. Lehigh went 1-5 last week and dropped to 11-13 for the season. Army climbed the Patriot League ladder last week. The Black Knights now have the Patriot League's third-best record after going 6-2 at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. Holy Cross, which won four straight games last week, has now lost four straight games. Lafayette went 3-5 last week at the Rebel Spring Games to improve to 4-10. Bucknell did not compete last week.

On Deck Patriot League competition will get underway this weekend. All six teams will play doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday. Defending Patriot League champion Lehigh will meet 2007 champion Colgate. Two of the hottest teams in the Patriot League will open League play against each other. Army which has won six of its last seven will battle Lafayette, which has won three straight. Holy Cross and Bucknell will begin League play looking to snap losing streaks. The Crusaders have lost four straight, while Bucknell has dropped five consecutive games.

Travel Agent Required As is customary this time of year, Patriot League teams have been hitting the road for warmer temperatures. All six teams have spent part of March in Florida for various tournaments. The first Patriot League team to host a game this season was Army, which hosted a pair of double-headers last week. Four teams have yet to begin the home portions of their schedule. Three of those four teams will open League play at home. Bucknell will play its first home game on Wednesday against Drexel.

Power Surge Four Patriot League players hit multiple home runs last week. Leading the way was Lafayette's Christina Giambrone. The junior shortstop blasted four home runs in eight games last week, including two against Green Bay. Giambrone belted back-to-back bombs in the Leopards' 5-1 win against the Phoenix.

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.

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 now has the third-best record among Patriot League teams after winning six of its last seven games. Army's six wins at the Rebel Spring Games were its most since 2002. The Black Knights headed to the Rebel Spring Games batting under .200. Army is now batting .230 after hitting .273 in 10 contests in Florida. Junior pitcher Jessi Muckelroy notched all six pitching wins, sporting a 0.64 ERA in the process. Army's team ERA is now down to 2.80. Army will open up Patriot League play against Lafayette, which has won three straight games.

Bucknell The Bison had the week off after losing five in a row at the Rebel Spring Games, including three one-run losses and two two-run defeats. Bucknell will seek to regain its winning form with a non-League match-up against Drexel on Wednesday. The Bison will then open the Patriot League season on the road against Holy Cross on Saturday.

Colgate The Raiders currently own the best record among Patriot League teams after going 4-2 last week at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. Freshman pitcher Michelle Hollebeke recorded two of the Raiders' four pitching victories. Ashley Rowe hit .400 last week with two doubles and four RBI. She now ranks in the top 20 in Colgate history in hits, RBI, doubles and total bases. Colgate will open League play at home on Saturday against preseason favorite Lehigh.

Holy Cross Holy Cross, which entered the week having won four straight games, has now lost four straight contests. The Crusaders went 1-5 last week. Holy Cross played four of its six contests on the opposing team's home field, along with two games on neautral sites. The Crusaders will play their first home game on Saturday when they open Patriot League competition against Bucknell.

Lafayette After dropping five straight games to open the Rebel Spring Games, the Leopards finished strong with three straight victories. Sophomore pitcher Ali Henry picked up two of the pitching victories. She struck out 27 batters in 29.1 innings of work. She recorded a season-high nine strikeouts, one short of a career-high, in the Leopards' win against Green Bay. The Lopards will commence League play on Saturday against Army in Easton.

Lehigh The Mountain Hawks went 1-5 last week, dropping them below .500 for the season. Lehigh was winless in four road games, dropping doubleheaders to Delaware and Villanova. Lehigh salvaged a split in a home doubleheader against Boston University and Saint Joseph's. Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan is now three wins away from securing his 450th career victory. The Mountain Hawks will open Patriot League play on Saturday at Colgate. The Raiders were the last team to beat Lehigh for the Patriot League title, doing so in 2007.