Rutgers Softball Opens BIG EAST Play at Notre Dame
Mar 31 | Softball
NOTRE DAME, Ind. (March 31, 2010) - On its longest win streak of the season, the Rutgers softball team heads to No. 24/RV Notre Dame for a three game weekend series this Thursday through Saturday. On April 1, the Scarlet Knights will face off with the Fighting Irish at 6 p.m. The two squads meet again April 3 for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Live stats will be available on www.scarletknights.com.
Notre Dame holds the all-time advantage by a 26-6 margin. The Scarlet Knights last won on April 14, 2008, when the squad used a four run rally in the sixth to earn the victory, 5-4.
Rutgers (12-15) did not get a chance to play Tuesday, as its doubleheader at Long Island University was rained out. The Scarlet Knights won two games at Princeton Saturday, upending the Tigers, 9-4, in game one, and 4-3 in game two in nine innings. Junior Mandy Craig (Manassas, Va.) drove in the game-winning run in game two with a deep double to center.
Sophomore leads the team with a 3.32 ERA, five wins and one save. Senior ace Nicole Lindley (Cicero, N.Y.) has also notched five wins on the season, fanning 61 batters in 2010.
At the plate, sophomore Brittany Lindley (Cicero, N.Y.) paces the team with a .333 average, adding 15 RBI. Classmate Mikelyn Messina (Prospect, Conn.) leads the team with seven home runs, just one away from tying for second in the RU record book for home runs in a season.
RU has won five of its last six games, outscoring opponents 33-11. Over that span, Messina has hit three home runs for seven RBI and Lindley is boasting a .368 batting average.
Notre Dame (24-6) saw its 11-game win streak snapped Tuesday at Loyola Chicago, as the Ramblers upended the Irish 8-0 in six innings. Junior ace Jody Valdivia suffered her first loss since February, snapping a 17-game winning streak from the circle. Valdivia paces the hurlers with a 1.86 ERA.
At the plate, junior Erin Marrone paces the Irish with a .453 average, driving in 10 RBI. Just two of UND's ten regular batters are hitting less than .300.
Leading Notre Dame is Deanna Gumpf in her ninth season. The Irish have won four BIG EAST Tournament titles with Gumpf at the helm, including last season's crown, and have appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments.
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