March 29, 2010
Center Valley, Pa.--Patriot League play gets going on Saturday, as all six Patriot League teams will be in action. League squads will play four-game series, with doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.
Patriot League Softball Release - 3.29.10 
Patriot League Player of the Week
Jen Colquhoun, Lehigh So., SS, Oak Park, Calif.
Colquhoun batted .529 with 12 RBI last week. She notched a hit in all six of the Mountain Hawks’ games, including a 3-for-3 effort in Lehigh’s 2-0 win over Penn. Her two-run home run was the difference in the Mountain Hawks’ victory over the Quakers. Colquhoun tallied an RBI in all six games, including multiple-RBI efforts in five contests. Colquhoun is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak. It is the first time in her career that Culquhoun has been named Patriot League Player of the Week.
Patriot League Pitcher of the Week
Alex MacLean, Bucknell Fr., P, Northampton, Pa.
MacLean struck out a career-high seven batters while tossing a one-hit, complete game victory over Coppin State. She allowed just three walks and did not surrender an earned run in seven innings of work. The victory pushed the freshman’s season record to 2-1. It is the first time in her career that MacLean has been named Patriot League Pitcher of the Week.
Patriot League Rookie of the Week
Liz Lucas, Lehigh Fr., C/DP, Westminster, Colo.
Lucas was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week for the second time this season after batting .375 with four extra-base hits and nine RBI. Lucas drove in four runs on two separate occasions, doing so against Niagara twice. She hit her first career home run in Lehigh’s 8-5 win over the Purple Eagles on Saturday. For the week, Lucas finished with a .813 slugging percentage and .450 on-base percentage.
Honorable Mention Performances Last Week
Erin McClain, Army
Sr., C, Ventura, Calif.
Batted .474 with five RBI and six runs in six games. Recorded five multi-hit games,
Sherry Finkel, Bucknell
Sr., OF, Morgantown, W. Va.
Was 5-for-9 with two runs and two doubles in three games against Coppin State. Drove in four runs, including three in the series finale.
Jennifer Ortega, Colgate
So., SS, Aberdeen, N.J.
Hit .462 with one home run and five RBI in four games. Four of her six hits were for extra bases.
Erin Fleming, Holy Cross
Jr., OF, Townsend, Mass.
Batted .429 in Holy Cross’ mid-week series at Boston University. Went 2-for-4 in the series opener. Finished with two RBI and two stolen bases.
Kasey Karr, Lafayette
Sr., P, Warren, Ohio
Tallied two wins and a save while notching a 1.67 ERA in the pitching circle. Was 7-for-15 at the plate with two home runs and five RBI.
Tiffany Curtis, Lehigh
Sr., P, Newbury Park, Calif.
Went 4-1 with a 3.96 ERA in 17.2 innings of work. Did not allow a run in her first four appearances.
Patriot League Notebook
League Play Looming
After over 100 combined non-League games, Patriot League play will officially begin on Saturday. All six teams are scheduled to play two sets of doubleheaders. Lehigh will host Colgate at noon on Saturday and Sunday, while Bucknell and Holy Cross will also play at noon on both days. The Bison will serve as hosts in their series against the Crusaders. Army will host Lafayette in the other Patriot League series, which will begin at 1 p.m. on both days.
Raiders Still Running
Colgate still holds the best non-League record, entering the week with a 17-5 overall mark. The Raiders went 3-1 at the Delaware State Invitational, with their lone loss coming against the host Hornets. Of Colgate’s 17 wins, 12 have come on neutral fields. The Raiders are 5-2 in true road games. Colgate has yet to play a home contest this season.
Biting Back Against The Bulldogs
Army split its Saturday doubleheader against Yale, brining an end to the Black Knights’ 10-game losing streak in the series. Army is off to an 11-9 start, its best since beginning the 2002 campaign with a 12-8 mark.
Setting the Table
Colgate has scored 138 runs this season, more than any other Patriot League team. A key to the Raiders’ offensive success has been the production of their leadoff batters. Colgate’s lineup has hit .511 to start each inning.
Clearing The Bases
Bucknell has had great success with the bases loaded this season. The Bison lead the Patriot League with a .533 batting average when the bases are packed. Bucknell hitters have gone to the plate with the bases loaded 15 times, getting a hit in eight of those occasions.
On The Right Foot
In the 10 seasons that Lehigh has won the Patriot League Championship, the Mounatin Hawks failed to win their Patriot League opener just once. Lehigh dropped its first two Patriot League games against Army in 2004 before eventually winning its sixth League crown. The Mountain Hawks will be chasing their third straight Patriot League-opening victory when they host Colgate on Sunday.
2010 Patriot League Softball Tournament
The 2010 Patriot League Softball Championship will be held at the school with the top seed, as determined by regular-season standings, with the top four teams qualifying for the double-elimination tournament. Two games will be played on Thursday, May 13 and three on Friday, May 14. The champion will be determined on Saturday, May 15. The Patriot League champion will earn the Patriot League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Team Notebooks
Army The Black Knights went 3-3 last week, giving them an 11-9 overall mark. Army is off to its best start since opening the 2002 campaign with a 12-8 record. The Black Knights rank fourth among Patriot League teams with a .286 batting average but lead the League with 34 doubles. Erin McClain, who had three doubles last week, leads the team and ranks second among Patriot League players with eight doubles. Army will play a non-League doubleheader at Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday before opening Patriot League play with a four-game home series against Lafayette.
Bucknell The Bison won twice in their three-game series at Coppin State. Sherry Finkel had a pair of multi-hit games, going a combined 5-for-7 in Bucknell’s two victories. Finkel had four RBIs in the wins, including three in the series finale. Bucknell enters the week having attempted the fewest stolen bases among Patriot League teams. However, the Bison have been the most successful team when attempting to swipe bases. Bucknell has been caught stealing just three times in its 11 attempts. The Bison will play a non-League doubleheader at Drexel on Wednesday before opening Patriot League play with a four-game home series against Holy Cross.
Colgate The Raiders own the best record among Patriot League teams, entering the week with a 17-5 non-League mark. Colgate went 3-1 at the Delaware State Invitational, with its lone loss coming against the host Hornets. The Raiders are 12-3 on neutral fields and 5-2 in true road games. Colgate has yet to play a home contest this season. The Raiders enter the week leading all Patriot League teams with 11 home runs and 50 extra-base hits. Sophomore shortstop Jennifer Ortega ranks in the top two in doubles, triples and home runs, giving her a League-leading 14 extra-base hits. Colgate will open Patriot League play on the road against defending champion Lehigh.
Holy Cross The Crusaders dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Boston University, giving Holy Cross seven straight losses. Erin Fleming led the Crusaders in Boston, going 3-for-7 against the Terriers. She scored twice, drove in two runs and stole a pair of bases. Freshman Sam Fregenti notched a hit in each game, extending her hitting streak to nine games. Holy Cross enters the week having attempted 3.2 stolen bases per game, more than any other Patriot League team. The Crusaders will play a non-League doubleheader against Hartford on Wednesday before opening Patriot League action at Bucknell this weekend.
Lafayette The Leopards went 3-2 last week. Lafayette notched a doubleheader sweep over Wagner on Wednesday before tallying a victory at Princeton on Sunday. In between, the Leopards were dealt a pair of losses by Villanova. Kasey Karr led Lafayette in the pitching circle and at the plate. Karr batted .467 with two home runs and five RBI while also notching two pitching wins and a save. She currently leads the team with 14 runs, 11 RBI and five home runs. Karr also owns a team-best six pitching wins and a 3.57 ERA. Lafayette will play non-League doubleheaders against Stony Brook and Iona before commencing Patriot League play at Army.
Lehigh The Mountain Hawks went 5-1 during their first homestand of the season. Lehigh swept a doubleheader against Penn before taking three games in a four-game set against Niagara. Sophomores Jennifer Culquhoun and Julie Fernandez each enter the week riding 11-game hitting streaks. Culquhoun was 9-for-17 during the week, while Fernandez was 8-for-16. Tiffany Curtis picked up four of Lehigh’s pitching wins last week, holding opponents to a .246 batting average. The Mountain Hawks will host Princeton on Wednesday before starting Patriot League play against Colgate on Saturday.
