WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University softball team continues BIG EAST Conference play this weekend against Providence. The Hoyas enter the series 8-19 and 1-2 in the league while Providence enters with an 8-16 record and 0-3 in conference play.

The last matchup between the two teams came last year when the Hoyas traveled to Providence for a weekend conference series. The Friars took all three wins on the way to the sweep.

Last weekend the Blue & Gray opened league play with a series against Creighton in which the team went 1-2. GU got it's win in the opening game of the series on Saturday behind a strong pitching performance by Anna Brooks Pacha (Houston, Texas/St. John's School) who picked up her sixth win of the season. Theresa Kane (Mystic, Conn./Stonington) was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll after hitting .455 with a double and her BIG EAST leading third triple against Creighton.

Entering the weekend, Pacha leads the BIG EAST with 104 strikeouts which ranks 37th nationally. Katie Vannicola (Vienna, Va./James Madison) has seen success in relief appearances with two saves on the season which ranks first in the BIG EAST and 36th nationally. Mallory Belknap (Scottsdale, Ariz./ Xavier College Prep) is leading the BIG EAST with hits at 40, and her .426 batting average ranks second in the conference. Gabriela Elvina (Edison, N.J./Bishop George Ahr) joins Belknap by hitting over .300 with her .309 batting average. Sarah Bennett (Owings, Md./Northern) also was strong at the plate last weekend by hitting her team leading fourth home run of the season to go along with 18 RBI.

All three games will be held at Washington Nationals Youth Academy, with game one starting at 5p.m. Live stats for all three games can be found at www.GUHoyas.com