North Carolina State University Athletics
Softball at Home on Wednesday and Thursday
3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State will begin an eight-game homestand with single games at the Curtis & Jacqueline Dail Softball Stadium tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 19. The Pack will take on East Carolina on Wednesday, before facing Fordham on Thursday. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. on both days. GoPack.com will provide live stats for both games, while ACC Select will offer a live video feed online for Wednesday’s game.
State (10-8) had three more games vanish from its schedule this past weekend as its entire ACC-opening series at Virginia Tech was sabotaged by Mother Nature. The Pack was riding a three-game winning streak until Winthrop sent them home with a 4-1 road loss last Thursday in Rock Hill, S.C. Despite the setback, the Pack has won eight of its last 10 games including a doubleheader sweep of Michigan State at home last Tuesday.
Hannah Ojeda remains State’s top offensive threat, posting a .341 batting clip with seven runs scored and three RBIs in a solid start to her career in the red and white. Alyssa Ishibashi continues to get on base, batting .319 total with five runs scored and four RBIs. Kristine Bechtholdt, Bridget Desbois and Allison Presnell each boast three home runs, while Alyssa Allbritten has two.
The Wolfpack pitching staff has been solid by and large, combining for a 1.69 ERA. Lindsay Campana (5-3, 1 save) posts a 1.13 ERA on her own with six complete games under her belt and 62 strikeouts. McKenzie (3-3, 1 save) carries a 2.22 ERA with 42 K’s. Morgan Peeler (1-2, 2.71 ERA) and Stephanie Call (1-0, 2.00 ERA) have also shown tremendous promise when handed the ball in the circle.
Scouting East Carolina and Fordham
East Carolina carries a 15-9 overall record and stands 3-3 in Conference USA play. The Pirates have lost three of four after winning 10 of 11 between Feb. 21 and March 11.
Jessica Johnson serves as one of the Pirates main offensive catalysts, wielding eight multiple hit games, 14 RBIs, 14 runs scored, two home runs and a .343 batting average. Jillian Gallagher carried an eight-game hitting streak earlier in the year.
Toni Paisley (11-4, 1.66 ERA) is the reigning Conference USA Pitcher of the Week for the third time on the year. She tossed a perfect game against Georgetown on March 10, only to no-hit Southern Miss four days later. She leadsConference USA in ERA, wins strikeouts (105).
Fordham, riding a seven-game win streak, stands at 15-8. The Rams will take on Longwood and North Carolina in nearby Chapel Hill tomorrow before making the short drive to Raleigh. Melissa Andrews was named A-10 Co-Player of the Week after batting .439 (18-41) with two doubles, two triples, one home run, seven RBI and 10 runs over the past two weeks.
Pitcher Jen Mineau was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week, Atlantic 10 Pitcher & Rookie of the Week this week after going 3-0 with three saves in six appearances last week, including a no-hitter and a perfect game. During her 19.2 innings in the circle, she recorded 18 strikeouts and issued just one walk.
Last Tuesday she tossed a perfect game in a 9-0 win over St. Peter’s before pitching a complete game 6-2 in over Maryland. This past Sunday she no-hit Delaware while adding saves against St. Peter’s, Howard and Seton Hall. Mineau owns a 7-4 record with four saves and a 1.40 ERA in 18 appearances and 75.0 innings. Opponents are hitting just .175 against her.
The All-Time Series
NC State is 5-1 all-time against East Carolina. Both squads split a doubleheader on March 28, 2007 in Raleigh in the last meeting between the programs. State took the first game 12-2 in six innings with Allison Presnell hitting a walk-off grand slam while racking up a school record six RBIs. The Pack dropped the second affair 8-9 in 11 innings after squandering a four run lead and allowing six Pirate runs in the top of the seventh.
State and Fordham have met twice on the diamond, splitting the series. The Pack won the last meeting 9-1 in five innings at the Cox Communications Classic in Gainesville, Fla., Feb. 16, 2007.
10 for Ishi
Alyssa Ishibashi is currently riding a 10-game hitting streak, tied for second-longest in school history. It is the longest hitting streak on the Wolfpack roster since 2007. Jen Chamberlin owns the school record after recording a hit in 11-straight games during her farewell campaign in 2007.
Blame It on the Rain
Mother Nature has flexed her muscle this season when it comes to keeping NC State off of the diamond, resulting in nine lost games. State sat out the opening week of the season, only to have two games cancelled at its first tournament appearance in Houston, Texas. Two weeks later - at it’s own Wolfpack Challenge in Raleigh - the Pack had four more games called because of torrential downpour. The Pack traveled to Virginia Tech for a three-game ACC-opening series, only to have each game cancelled because of the weather. A 10th contest - on the road at Winthrop - was rescheduled due to snow.
