Lehigh University Athletics
Mountain Hawks visit Bucknell for four key games
4/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh looks to cement a spot in the Patriot League tournament and maintain its perch atop the league standings as the Mountain Hawks travel to Bucknell for a four-game series this weekend at Varsity Softball Field. The Mountain Hawks (25-14-1, 11-1 Patriot League) enter the next-to-last weekend of league play on a 12 game winning streak overall and with a two-game lead over Colgate in the league standings.
The Mountain Hawks have been off since completing a four-game sweep of rival Lafayette Sunday with a doubleheader sweep at Kaufman Field. The wins not only extended Lehigh’s overall win streak, but upped the Mountain Hawks league win-streak to ten in a row.
Offensively, Lehigh continues to shine in league play, as the Mountain Hawks are batting .376 in 12 league games as a team. Seniors Lisa Sweeney and Alisha Gonzales have led the way, hitting .488 and .486 respectively in league play, while freshman Julie Fernandez, the Patriot League’s leading hitter overall at .418, is hitting .450 in league play. All three players have driven in ten or more runs for the Mountain Hawks during that time frame.
In the circle, Sweeney is 7-1 in league games for the Mountain Hawks and her league ERA of 1.70 is nearly a full run lower than her overall ERA. Sweeney picked up three wins and a save in four appearances last week and was named the Patriot League’s Pitcher of the Week and the ECAC Pitcher of the Week.
Bucknell enters its final home league series of the season at 13-27 overall and 4-8 in the league. The Bison have lost six straight games, including a four-game series sweep last weekend at Colgate and enter the weekend tied with Lafayette for fourth place in the league standings.
Cassie Lloyd and Alyssa Okita lead the Bison with a .333 batting average. Ashley Beans has been the top all-around hitter at .324 with six home runs and 23 RBI. In the circle, Bucknell has counted on freshman Jane Messersmith (5-10, 4.23 ERA) and senior Katie McDonald (7-9, 4.81) ERA to throw a majority of the innings.
The Bison tied for second in the league standings last year, with Lauren Fry nabbing league Rookie of the Year honors and Heather Rakosik earning Coach of the Year accolades.
Lehigh leads the series versus Bucknell 62-32. The Mountain Hawks won three-of-four games from the Bison last year at Kaufman Field and added a 9-5 win in the Patriot League tournament.
The Mountain Hawks and Bison will play doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday at Varsity Softball Field in Lewisburg, Pa. Saturday’s doubleheader is set for a 1 p.m. start, while Sunday’s twinbill begins at 12 p.m.
