NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The State University of New York at New Paltz softball team will travel to Danbury, Conn., to take on Western Connecticut State University in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, April 9, at 4 p.m.
RECORDS: New Paltz enters Wednesday's doubleheader with an overall record of 5-9, while Western Connecticut is 18-5-1.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS (5-9): New Paltz split a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) doubleheader against SUNY Oswego on Sunday, April 6, at Mary Gray Deane Field, winning, 4-3, in game one, before dropping game two, 7-3, in eight innings… In game one, senior pitcher
Amber Carozza earned the win, yielding three runs off 10 hits and a walk while striking out three… Junior center fielder
Shayna Burgess, junior second baseman
Meg Brewer and sophomore third baseman
Nicole DeCosta all had multiple hits for the Hawks… In game two, junior pitcher
Erika Traina sustained the loss for the Hawks, working 7 2/3 innings.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS: Senior
Chelsea Kull leads the team and is ranked sixth in the SUNYAC in batting average (.444), while Burgess is tops on the team and second in the conference in slugging percentage (.727)… Junior
Noelle Grande has been strong on the base paths, going 7-for-7 in stolen bases… Sophomore
Katie Rutcofsky has anchored the Hawks' pitching staff this year with a 4.74 ERA and 20 strikeouts.
TEAM STATISTICS: New Paltz ranks third in the SUNYAC in batting average (.327), and the Hawks have also hit for power with a .429 slugging percentage… New Paltz has also been strong defensively with a .943 fielding percentage.
SCOUTING THE COLONIALS (18-5-1): Western Connecticut swept Little East Conference rival Plymouth State University, 4-2 and 3-2, Sunday afternoon at Westside Field… Sophomore Alle Sabith pitched a combined seven innings of relief to earn a save and a win, and senior Jessica Caturano provided the offensive power.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS: Sophomore Erin Weber leads the team with a batting average of .359… Senior Emily Cintorino and sophomore Alle Sabith have ERAs of 1.72 and 1.74, respectively.
TEAM STATISTICS: Western Connecticut ranks fourth in the LEC with a .292 batting average and first with a 1.68 ERA… Western Connecticut has also been strong defensively with a .955 fielding percentage.
LAST MEETING: Western Connecticut swept New Paltz in a doubleheader on April 10, 2013, at Mary Gray Deane Field… The Colonials won game one, 1-0, before taking the nightcap, 8-0, in five innings... See below for the recap from those contests.
GAME RECAP:
April 10, 2013WHAT'S NEXT: New Paltz will host a SUNYAC doubleheader against SUNY Oneonta Friday, April 11, at 3 p.m… Western Connecticut will host Newbury College on Thursday, April 10, at 5 p.m.
COACHES: New Paltz is led by head coach
Brittany Robinson in her first season, while Western Connecticut is directed by Heather Stone in her sixth season.
