University of Massachusets Athletics
Softball Hosts Charlotte In A-10 Action On Dedication Sunday
March 28, 2008 | Softball
March 28, 2008
AMHERST, MASS. - The Massachusetts softball team (16-11) returns to Atlantic 10 action this weekend as it hosts Charlotte (17-16) in its first conference home game of the season on Sunday. The first game of the double-header will begin at 12 p.m. EST. The Minutewomen are winners of 10 of their last 12, including six in a row. UMass will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. to dedicate the new grandstand bleachers at UMass Softball Complex.
BROADCAST INFO
Over 30 Minutewomen regular season games will be broadcast online at www.UMassathletics.com. Media Relations assistant Mike Huff will call a majority of the road games as play-by-play commentator Matt Goldstein and the WMUA 99.1 team of Zach Claudio, Chris Marovelli and Mike Wash will call all the action at home games at UMass Softball complex.
SCOUTING CHARLOTTE
•Charlotte holds a 17-16 record on the season after sweeping the series against Dayton last weekend, 2-1 and 7-4
•Charlotte returns four starting positional players and two starting pitchers after finishing 34-23 last season, 8-7 in the A-10
•The pitching staff, comprised of hurlers Katy Hackett, Emily Jeffery and Gina Allen, holds a 3.02 ERA. Hackett leads the circle with a 2.22 ERA to go with a even 8-7 record.
•The 49ers are hitting .275 as a team, led by sophomore centerfielder Serena Smith (.380 average, 4 doubles, 1 triple and 24 RBI.
•The Minutewomen are 4-1 all-time vs. Charlotte, sweeping last years series 4-1 and 5-2.
STRONG SCHEDULE
Coach Sortino and the Minutewomen have put together a very tough non-conference schedule before beginning A-10 conference play and have been rewarded for it. The Minutewomen currently have the ninth strongest schedule in the nation according to WarrenNolan.com. After facing 10 teams from last season's NCAA postseason, including 2007 WCWS participants Texas A&M, Baylor and DePaul as well as the 2007 national champion Arizona Wildcats, UMass entered A-10 conference play with the nation's top overall S.O.S. The Minutewomen have played eight current top-25 teams (Including No. 1 UCLA), going 2-6 in those matches highlighted by a 4-1 win over then-No. 2 Texas A&M.
UMass currently sits at No. 26 in the 2008 NFCA RPI. The NCAA is scheduled to release its 2008 Division I softball RPI on April 4, April 18 and May 2.
WIN STREAKS
The Minutewomen are currently on a 22-game A-10 Conference win streak. The last conference loss for UMass was against St. Bonaventure on May 5, 2006. The Minutewomen also currently hold a 28-game regular season home win streak. The last regular season home loss was April 9, 2006 to Charlotte.
BALSCHMITER GRABS PAIR OF WINS IN HOME-OPENING SWEEP OF DARTMOUTH
Junior pitcher Brandice Balschmiter went 12 2/3 innings while striking 20 for a pair of wins (7-0, 7-5) as Massachusetts (16-11) swept Dartmouth (4-13) in the home-opening double-header Wednesday at UMass Softball complex. Junior Whitney Mollica and sophomore Jessica Serio extended their hit streaks to six games as the Minutewomen are winners of 10 of their last 12, including six in a row.
In game one, UMass scored seven runs on seven hits from seven different players as Balschmiter (11-6) gave up just one hit recording a season-high 13 strikeouts for her sixth shutout of the season.
In game two, UMass came back from behind twice including a 0-3 hole to start the game for the 7-5 win.
SORTINO CLOSES IN ON 1,000
UMass Head Coach Elaine Sortino is just 9 wins shy of becoming the 11th coach in NCAA Softball History and eighth in Division 1 to record 1,000 career wins. Entering the 2008 season, Sortino compiled a 975-419-5 (.699) record through 28 years at UMass. She ranks among the top 10 in both wins and winning percentage and is a 2004 National Fast pitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee. While at Massachusetts, Sortino has never had a losing season and enjoyed 20, 30-win seasons, six, 40-win seasons and one 50-win season. Sortino has produced 19 All-Americans, 10 A-10 Players of the Year, 13 A-10 Pitchers of the Year, Seven A-10 Rookies of the Year and 91 All-Conference picks.
BALSCHMITER ON POINT
The right-handed pitcher has picked up where she left off last season. With an 11-6 record, the junior ace holds a .83 ERA with 139 strikeouts and two saves on the year. Five of her six losses were to nationally ranked opponents (No. 12 Michigan, No. 5 UCLA, No. 9 Arizona, #18 DePaul, #19 Miss. State), however Balschmiter has 41 strikeouts in those games and hasn't given up more than three earned runs to any opponent this year.
She was dynamite in a 13-inning 4-2 loss to No. 9 Arizona (2/23) as she struckout 10, while giving up just two earned runs to the back-to-back ncaa champions. The 13-innings pitched were a career high for Balschmiter. She was also terrific in the 4-1 win over No. Texas A&M (3/1), giving up just one run on nine hits while striking out five.
With three strikeouts in a relief appearance against No. 10 Baylor, Balschmiter moved into second place on the UMass all-time strikeout list with 597. Balschmiter was terrific in the double header against Dartmouth (3/26) where she pitched 12.2 innings, allowing no earned runs, had 20 stirkeouts and picked up both wins. In game one of the double header Balschmiter recorded a season high 13 strikeouts.
CULLINGTON CLIMBS THE CHARTS
Senior Second Baseman Stacy Cullington continues to move up the UMass career charts. Already in second place on the home runs list (28), Cullington moved into third place on the walks list (91) after drawing four in the double header against Dartmouth. Cullington is now 10 walks away from breaking the UMass single season record for walks. She also ranks ninth in the country in walks per game (.80).
DIRTY WORK
Starting all 27 games behind home plate this season, sophomore catcher Jessica Serio has been busy for the Minutewomen. Serio leads the team in batting average (.351) and doubles (9) and is fourth in runs batted in with nine. Serio had three doubles in a 3-for-3 outing in a 1-0 win over Fordham. Defensively, she has picked off five runners on 19 stolen base attempts and given up just three passed balls. Serio has also tagged four runners in some bang-bang plays at home plate. Serio extended her hit-streak to six games going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the series against Dartmouth.
UP NEXT - GEORGE WASHINTON
Following the double-header against Charlotte, the Minutewomen will head to Washington, D.C. to take on George Washington, Friday April 4 at 3 p.m. EST.
