May 3, 2010
Center Valley, Pa.--The most recent batch of weekend games put the pieces of the Patriot League Tournament puzzle into place. Army, Lehigh, Bucknell and Colgate will all compete for the 2010 Patriot League Championship, while the season came to a close for Lafayette and Holy Cross. Though all four Patriot League Tournament teams have been decided, the tournament's host site has not. A Friday doubleheader between Army and Colgate will determine the top seed and host team for the 2010 Patriot League Tournament. If Army wins twice, the Black Knights will claim the top seed. If Army drops a game, Lehigh will jump into the top spot.
Patriot League Softball Release - 5.3.10 
Patriot League Player of the Week
Alex Cueva, Lehigh Jr., 3B, Santa Clarita, Calif.
Cueva hit safely in five of Lehigh’s six games last week, helping the Mountain Hawks go 5-1 in the process. Cueva had multiple hits in three games, including a 4-for-5, five-RBI effort in Lehigh’s first game against Bucknell on Wednesday. Her two-run triple in the seventh inning drove in the winning runs in the Mountain Hawks’ 10-8 victory over the Bison. It is the first time this season and the second time in her career that Cueva has been named Patriot League Player of the Week.
Patriot League Pitcher of the Week
Shawna Bleyl, Army So., P, Tucson, Ariz.
Bleyl made four relief appearances last week, picking up the win in all four. Bleyl allowed just two earned runs and eight hits while walking five batters and striking out two in 13.2 innings of work. Bleyl recorded a 1.02 ERA during the week and now has a 2.71 ERA for the season. Her Patriot League ERA is now down to 1.70. It is the second time in three weeks that Bleyl has been named Patriot League Pitcher of the Week.
Patriot League Rookie of the Week
Courtney O’Connell, Colgate Fr., P, Palm Harbor, Fla.
O’Connell won both of her starts in the pitching circle, helping Colgate earn a Patriot League Tournament berth. O’Connell tossed the first complete-game shutout of her career, allowing just three hits and three walks against Lafayette on Saturday. O’Connell again went the distance on Sunday, allowing just two runs on seven hits against the Leopards. She finished the weekend with a 1.07 ERA. It is the first time O’Connell has been named Patriot League Rookie of the Week.
Honorable Mention Performances Last Week
Rachel Duval, Army
So., C, Auburn, Ga.
Batted .571 during the week, including a 7-for-13 effort against Bucknell. Registered three RBI, all of which came against the Bison.
Lauren Fry, Bucknell
Fr., P, Milford, Conn.
Went 11-for-20 in six Patriot League contests. Racked up three extra-base hits, giving her a .750 slugging percentage. Also scored three times and drove in three runs.
Nicole Siedhof, Colgate
Jr., C, Canton, Pa.
Hit safely in all four of the Raiders’ games. Finished the week batting .500 with four RBI and two runs scored. Had the game-winning double in the third game of the Raiders’ four-game series at Lafayette. Hit a home run in the series finale.
Keeley Seniuk, Holy Cross
Jr., OF, Phoenix, Ariz.
Hit .600 with an .800 slugging percentage in five games last week. Had a hit in all five contests, including three multiple-hit efforts. Also stole four bases.
Rebecca Bliss, Lehigh
Fr., P, Escondido, Calif.
Went 3-0 with a save in four Patriot League appearances. Allowed just three earned runs on 23 hits. Struck out nine batters. Tossed a complete-game shutout against Holy Cross and carried a shutout into the seventh inning against Bucknell.
Patriot League Notebook
More For Four
Four Patriot League softball teams extended their seasons, clinching berths in the Patriot League Tournament. Army and Lehigh each needed just one win over the weekend to reach the tournament, and each squad got the clinching victory on Saturday. Bucknell, which went 2-2 against Army over the weekend, secured its berth on Sunday. The Bison will be the No. 3 seed. Rounding out the Patriot League Tournament field is Colgate, which will be the No. 4 seed in the tournament. The Raiders went 3-1 during weekend play against Lafayette, giving Colgate an 8-10 Patriot League record. The Raiders have two League games remaining, but Colgate holds the tiebreaking edge should the Raiders drop into a tie with Holy Cross, which closed the Patriot League season with an 8-12 mark. Colgate split its regular-season series against Holy Cross, meaning the teams' records against the top-seeded team would be compared. Colgate would be 1-3 against Army, while Holy Cross was swept by the Black Knights.
Still Not Done
Though the Patriot League Tournament teams have been determined, the site at which they play has not. Due to a previous rain postponement, Army and Colgate will play a doubleheader on Friday. The two games will bring an end to the Patriot League regular season. If Army wins twice, the Black Knights will be the top seed and host team in the tournament. If Colgate wins at least once on Friday, Lehigh will claim the top seed for the 17th time in 20 seasons.
Two Get Thirty
For the fourth time in Patriot League history, two League squads have notched 30 wins in a single season. Lehigh leads the way with 31 wins, while Army has 30. It is the first time since 2004 that multiple Patriot League teams won at least 30 games. The feat was also accomplished in 2001 and 2002. If either Bucknell or Colgate reaches the 30-win plateau, it would mark the first time in Patriot League history that at least three teams notched 30 victories in a season.
Troyan Gets 500th Career Win
Lehigh head coach Fran Troyan entered the season just 26 wins shy of his 500th career victory. With a win over Bucknell on Apr. 24, he became the first Patriot League coach to reach the milestone. Troyan is 505-268-4 in 14 seasons of coaching, all of which have come with Lehigh.
On The Right Foot
In the 19 seasons that the Patriot League has been in existence, the eventual champion has won its Patriot League opener 16 times. Army, Bucknell and Lehigh were the three teams that won their Patriot League debuts this season.
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 split their weekend series at Bucknell, giving Army a 13-5 Patriot League record. The Black Knights’ first win of the series clinched a Patriot League Tournament berth. The Black Knights have clinched their first winning season since 2005. With one more win, Army would match the highest single-season win total since the program moved to Division I. It is the Black Knights’ first 30-win season since 2002, when the team won 31 games and won the Patriot League Championship. Three more wins would tie the program record for single-season victories, set by the 1998 team that competed at the Division II level. Army’s regular season will come to a close with a Friday doubleheader at Colgate. With two wins, Army would become the first team other than Lehigh to host the Patriot League Tournament since 2002. With a loss, the Black Knights would claim the No. 2 seed.
Bucknell The Bison split weekend series against Army, helping clinch a Patriot League Tournament berth. The Bison are in the tournament for the third conseucutive season. Bucknell’s two wins helped the Bison atone for a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Lehigh on Wednesday. During the week, junior outfielder Lauren Fry went 11-for-20. Fry had multiple his in five of Bucknell’s six games. She also recorded three bases-on-balls, giving her the school’s single-season walks record. The Bison will not play again until the Patriot League Tournament, where they will be the No. 3 seed.
Colgate The Raiders secured a Patriot League Tournament berth by taking three of four games at Lafayette over the weekend. Colgate has missed the Patriot League Tournament just once in the 20-year history of the event. The lone season in which the Raiders did not qualify for the tournament was in 2008. Colgate will be the No. 4 seed, but before the tournament commences, the Raiders will play three games this week. Colgate will play a Friday doubleheader against Army before traveling to Binghamton on Saturday. Freshman Alana Dyson enters tied for the Colgate single-season freshman record for runs. She will attempt to break Melissa Rawson’s mark of 37 runs, which was set in 2000.
Holy Cross The Crusaders went 1-3 against Lehigh during the weekend, eliminating them from Patriot League Tournament contention. Junior outfielder Keeley Seniuk went 6-for-11 with two doubles during the series. Seniuk also went 3-for-4 with a double in the Crusaders’ non-League loss to Bryant on Wednesday. Junior pitcher Caitlin Belanger went 1-1 against Lehigh with a 3.65 ERA. Offensively, Belanger went batted .471 with four stolen bases. She now has a school-record stolen bases this season. Holy Cross completed its season with a 14-31 record.
Lafayette The Leopards dropped three of four games against Colgate during weekend action. In Lafayette’s 1-0 win over the Raiders, junior pitcher Ali Henry tossed a complete-game shutout. Henry allowed just two hits and two walks while notching three strikeouts in the victory. Junior catcher Stacy Kushner’s solo home run was the difference in the game. Lafayette’s season is now complete. The Leopards closed the year with a 15-33 mark.
Lehigh The Mountain Hawks went 3-1 at Holy Cross, clinching their 20th consecutive Patriot League Tournament berth. The Mountain Hawks also recorded a doubleheader sweep against Bucknell on Wednesday. If Army drops at least one game in its doubleheader at Colgate on Friday, Lehigh would claim the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the 17th time in program history. Since the tournament moved to the site of the top seed in 2002, Lehigh has hosted the event every season. Freshman Rebecca Bliss threw a complete-game shutout against Holy Cross on Sunday. Bliss also carried a shutout into the seventh inning against Bucknell on Wednesday.
