JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Continuing its spring break trip in Jacksonville, Florida, the Georgetown University softball team will play a five-game slate over the course of three days as part of the JU/UNF Spring Break Challenge. The Hoyas will play all of their games at The Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex beginning on Friday, March 8 at 11:30 a.m. against La Salle, followed by another game at 4:30 p.m. against tournament host Jacksonville.
The Blue & Gray will resume action on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. for a matchup against Ball State and again at 4:30 p.m. against UNC Wilmington. The squad will play its final game of its spring break trip on Sunday at 9 a.m. to face Charleston Southern.
Live stats for all games will be available at GUHoyas.com.
Georgetown is 5-13 on the season after recently falling to North Florida on Wednesday evening 5-0. At the plate, senior
Olivia Russ (Huntington Beach, Calif. / Ocean View) and freshman
Kiki Besnard (Irvine, Calif. / Northwood) led GU with one hit apiece. Junior
Anna Brooks Pacha (Houston, Texas / St. John's School) took the loss in the circle after allowing a pair of runs off of five hits while striking out five.
For the season, junior
Noelle Holiday (Bear, Del. / Red Lion Christian Academy) and sophomore
Savannah Jones (San Rafael, Calif. / Terra Linda) are tied for first on the team with .367 batting averages (18 for 49). Jones tallies five doubles, three triples and seven RBIs on the season while Holiday has six doubles and three home runs with 15 RBIs. Freshman
Mae Forshey (Phoenix, Ariz. / Arcadia) leads the Hoyas with seven doubles and 21 hits while batting .362. On Monday, Forshey received her first BIG EAST Weekly Honors recognition for her efforts last weekend in the District Classic.
La Salle – Friday, March 8 (11:30 a.m.)
The Explorers enter the tournament with a 1-4 overall record, earning their first win of the season last weekend against Oakland 6-5 in the Elon Softball Phoenix Invitational. For the season, Emma Schweigert leads the squad with a .308 batting average and a pair of doubles.
Jacksonville – Friday, March 8 (4:30 p.m.)
For the season, the Dolphins are 7-11 and split a pair on Wednesday evening in a doubleheader against Holy Cross. Jacksonville played a total of 23 innings in the doubleheader, including a 2-1 loss in 16 innings in the first game of the night. The Dolphins bounced back in the second game with a 7-6 victory after scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win. Hannah Roberts leads the team at the plate with a pair of doubles, five home runs and 13 RBIs while batting .327.
Ball State – Saturday, March 9 (11:30 a.m.)
The Cardinals hold a winning record of 14-9 on the season after sweeping Bethune-Cookman in a midweek doubleheader, shutting out the Wildcats in both games. Haley Dominique leads Ball State offensively, batting .306 at the plate with six doubles and a pair of triples. Sarah Venker is 6-2 in the circle, striking out 46 batters in 47.1 innings pitched.
UNC Wilmington – Saturday, March 9 (4:30 p.m.)
The Seahawks are an even 9-9 this season and went 3-2 last weekend in the Courtyard by Marriott Seahawk Softball Classic. UNCW shut out North Carolina A&T (1-0) and Lehigh (3-0) and defeated the Aggies later in the weekend 9-1. Janel Gamache leads the Seahawks with a .346 batting average, along with eight doubles, a triple, a homer and 16 RBIs.
Charleston Southern – Sunday, March 10 (9 a.m.)
For the season, Charleston Southern holds a 5-13 overall record. The Buccaneers fell to College of Charleston in a midweek game on Wednesday 8-0. Annie Bakenhus leads CSU at the plate with a .324 batting average to go with seven doubles. In the circle, Arizona Pilgrim holds a 4.76 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 64.2 innings pitched.
Following this weekend, the Blue & Gray will play in its final tournament of the 2019 campaign in the Buff & Blue Challenge, hosted by George Washington, beginning Friday, March 15 until Sunday, March 17.
