Feb. 15, 2018
WASHINGTON - The Georgetown University softball team will travel to Columbia, South Carolina this weekend for the Gamecock Invitational, hosted by South Carolina. The Hoyas (1-4) will play a four-game slate over the three-day tournament, beginning on Friday when they take the field against Michigan State at noon.
On Saturday, GU will face Mercer at 10 a.m. and then Southern Illinois at 3 p.m. The last day of tournament action is on Sunday when the Blue & Gray will conclude the Gamecock Invitational against the tournament hosts, University of South Carolina, at 12:30 p.m.
Live stats for all of this weekend's games can be found on www.GUHoyas.com.
Last weekend, the Blue & Gray kicked off its season in the FGCU Kickoff Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. The squad went 1-4, defeating LIU Brooklyn on the final day, 8-3. During the opening weekend, senior Theresa Kane (Mystic, Conn./Stonington) and sophomore Noelle Holiday (Bear, Del./Red Lion Christian Academy) led the Hoyas at the plate. Holiday brought in a total of nine RBIs while Kane scored four runs for the team.
The Michigan State Spartans are coming off their opening weekend, going 2-3 at the FAU First Pitch Classic. The Spartans lost their three games in identical 3-0 scores to their opponents, Duke, FAU and Boston University. MSU is currently 24th in the nation in team ERA at 1.13. McKenzie Long led the team last weekend with a .462 batting average, going 6-for-13 at the plate, including a double. Ebonee Echols also led the Spartans last weekend with six hits.
This will be the fifth meeting between the Hoyas and the Spartans. The last time the two teams met was during the 2013-14 season, when MSU defeated GU, 8-2.
Mercer went undefeated (4-0) last weekend in the Mercer Invitational, outscoring its opponents, 36-12. Lauren Sanchez and Meghan Rud lead the Bears with .538 batting averages. Sanchez had three doubles during Mercer's opening weekend and, nationally, she is ranked 10th in the category. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
The Southern Illinois Salukis started their season 2-2 in the UTSA Softball Classic. The team was shut out by Abilene Christian Academy, 9-0, playing only five innings. Southern had six home runs within the four games it played. Starting pitcher Brianna Jones struck out 17 batters in 14 innings, allowing seven hits, two earned runs and three walks. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
The University of South Carolina went 5-1 in its first weekend of regular season action and outscored its opponents, 35-7. In the FIU Tournament, the Gamecocks lost its only game to Florida International, 3-1. Pitcher Cayla Drotar in currently second in the nation with two shutouts, allowing three runs in 19 innings in the circle. Mackenzie Boesel leads the team with a .389 average, one home run, six RBIs and three doubles. This will be the second meeting between the two teams. South Carolina leads the series, 0-1.
Following this weekend, Georgetown will continue its tournament play in Conway, South Carolina. GU will play in the Chanticleer Showdown on February 23-25, hosted by Coastal Carolina. The Hoyas will play five games within a three-day stretch, beginning on February 23 at 9:30 a.m. against the University of Pittsburgh.
