North Carolina State University Athletics
No. 25 Softball to Host Hyatt Place Invitational This Weekend
3/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Tournament Central Page
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State softball team will step out of conference play this weekend to host the Hyatt Place Invitational at Dail Stadium. Binghamton, Fordham, Lipscomb, Longwood and Missouri are among the team participating in the event.
Games are scheduled throughout the day on Friday and Saturday, with only three contests slated for Sunday. The 25th-ranked Wolfpack will play Longwood and Lipscomb at 3:45 and 6 p.m., respectively, on Friday and host Fordham and No. 21 Missouri at the same times with respect to order on Saturday.
On Sunday, NC State is set to conclude play in the tournament at 11:45 a.m. versus Binghamton.
The complete schedule of games for the weekend can be found by clicking here.
Last Time Out
In its last outing of the season, the Wolfpack earned a 3-1 win at Campbell. Senior Renada Davis hit a two-run homer in the third inning to give State a 3-0 lead. The Camels scored a run in the bottom of the frame, but could get no closer as NC State held on for the win.
Scouting Longwood
The Longwood Lancers head to Raleigh with a very deceiving 3-12 record on the season, seven of their losses have been by three runs or less. The Lancers defeated East Carolina in their most recent outing last Sunday in Hawaii, 3-0.
NC State and Longwood have met twice in the history of the programs, with the Wolfpack owning a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series. The teams last met in 2012 at a neutral site when the Pack won 4-3. NC State earned a 7-1 in Longwood's only prior trip to Dail Stadium in 2010.
Senior catcher and first baseman Megan Baltzell leads the Lancers at the plate with a .317 batting average and a team-best 13 hits. In the circle, sophomore pitcher Elizabeth McCarthy paces the staff in innings pitched with 44.2 and a 3.13 earned run average (ERA).
Scouting Lipscomb
Lipscomb make its first trip to Dail Stadium this weekend with a 9- 10 record on the year. The Lady Bisons defeated Southern Illinois in its last outing of the season, with a 3-2 win on Wednesday.
Friday's game will be the first meeting between NC State and Lipscomb.
The Lady Bisons are paced at the plate by junior Brittany Elmore with a batting average of .345, a team-high 20 hits and 14 runs scored. Juniors Tanner Sanders and Kelly Young have split time in the pitching circle with former owning a 3.54 ERA and the later a 3.73 ERA.
Scouting Fordham
The Fordham Rams enter the weekend with a 9-7 mark in 2015. The squad earned a 10-5 win over then-No. 13 Minnesota at the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic in its last outing.
Saturday's contest will be the fourth all-time meeting in the series. NC State won the last two matchups to hold a 2-1 edge in the series. The teams last met in 2009 when the Wolfpack won 6-4 at Dail Stadium.
Sophomore Amy Van Hoven leads the Rams offensively with a batting average of .400 and a team-best 22 hits. Classmate Sydney Canessa is closely behind with a .389 clip and 21 hits. In the pitcher's circle, junior Rachel Gillen is the team's ace and has a 2.16 ERA and a 5-2 record.
Scouting No. 21 Missouri
The Missouri Tigers are ranked No. 21 in this week's NFCA poll with a 15-3 record on the year. In its last outing of the season, the Tigers swept a doubleheader against Southeast Missouri, winning the first game 2-1 and the second contest, 10-1 Wednesday afternoon.
NC State and Missouri have met once on the softball field, with the Wolfpack earning at 6-0 win at a neutral site. The Wolfpack and Tigers share one common opponent in Notre Dame. State swept the three-game series against the Irish, while Missouri lost to Notre Dame, 3-2.
The Tigers are led at the plate by junior Taylor Gadbois with a batting average of .412, while classmate Sami Fagan has a team-best 22 hits and 18 runs scored to go along with a .367 batting average. Sophomore Tori Finucane and freshman Paige Lowary have split time in the circle with the former owning a 6-3 record and the latter an 8-0 mark. Fincucane has a 1.51 ERA, while Lowary has a 1.62 clip.
Scouting Binghamton
Binghamton makes the trip to Raleigh with an 8-6 record in 2015. The Bearcats went a perfect 4-0 in its last action of the season at the Myrtle Beach Tournament collecting two wins each against Manhattan College and Rider.
Sunday's matchup will be the third all-time meeting between the two squads with NC State owning a 2-0 advantage in the series. Both prior meetings were in 2004, as the Wolfpack earned 5-3 and 4-0 wins.
Two players on the squad are batting .400 or better for the season with junior Lisa Cadogan leading the way at .444 and classmate Sydney Harbaugh in second at .400. In the pitcher's circle, freshman Sarah Miller has a record of 5-2 in 45.2 innings pitched to go along with a 6.44 ERA.
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