Game Time: Wed. Apr. 20, 2016 3:30 pm & 5:30 pm
Location: MSOE Softball Field
NCAA Series: MSOE leads 20-1.
The Raiders are coming into the games today at 5-15. After beginning 4-3, MSOE dropped six straight games. Most recently, the Raiders bounced back with a 3-1 win over second ranked Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference foe Benedictine.
Although the Raiders have a lopsided record on the season, MSOE's ERA is only .72 points higher than their opponents. Shannon Curtis has taken the majority of the innings in the circle. After 66.1 innings this season, Curtis has a 2.32 ERA, 38 strikeouts, 38 base on balls, while batters are hitting .243 against her.
As a team, the Raiders are hitting a .256 batting average with 141 hits. Five of the nine starters with the minimum at-bats, have batting averages of .289 or higher. Katie Ready has been active on the base paths for the Raiders leading the team with 22 hits and also adding four doubles, one triple and 10 RBIs.
The Blue Angels are coming off a split with NACC member Rockford University. After dropping game one 5-1, MMU came fighting back in the second winning 10-2 including a six run inning that is MMU's highest offensive output in an inning this season.
Nikki Festge (Sr./Menomonee Falls, Wis.) and Ashley Contreras (So./College Station, Texas) have split time evenly in the circle for the Blue Angels. Both pitchers are top ten in the Great South Athletic Conference in strikeouts and strikeouts per game. While the team ERA has been slowly whittling down all season, the Blue Angels pitching staff is now at a season low of 6.15.
Hitting, MMU has picked up their batting average as they now sit at .255 on the season. The big output of offense has resulted in an average of 10.3 hits per game in the last six contests. Rookie Madison Ledda (Fr./Tracy, Calif.) has been a cornerstone in that recent surge recording eight hits, seven RBIs, and just ended a five game hitting streak before bouncing back with a 1-for-5 day with two runs scored.
Live stats and audio will be available at mtmaryathletics.com courtesy of the MSOE Athletic Department.
