Sophomore Lisa Baker |
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – After playing its last six games on the road, the Niagara University softball team (9-23) returns to friendlier confines at Niagara Field in hopes of snapping an eight-game skid. The Purple Eagles host St. Francis (Pa.) in a non-conference doubleheader Wednesday, beginning at 3 p.m.
Niagara’s underclassmen continue to lead the team. Rookie Tory Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.) tops the squad in hitting (.378), hits (34), doubles (7), home runs (4) and RBI (23). The second baseman is slowly inching toward the top 10 in a few single-season record categories. Healy needs four hits to move into eighth, three RBI to take over fourth and one homer to join the top four. She is also currently fourth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in batting and fifth in slugging percentage (.631).
Junior Shannon Mongalise (Bethel Park, Pa.) is hitting .323, and sophomore Lisa Baker (West Seneca, N.Y.) is Niagara’s third player with a .300-or-better batting average (.300). The shortstop is also the team leader in runs (16).
Senior Linzi Scarfone (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) has a team-best three triples, two shy of fourth in Niagara’s single-season list.
On the mound, rookies Tiffany McCrory (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Brooke Viola (Los Alamitos, Calif.) have ERA’s of 3.92 and 5.04, respectively. McCrory is 4-11 on the season and leads the team in strikeouts (64). The right-hander needs 11 more strikeouts to move into fifth on the Niagara single-season list.
St. Francis (9-34) looks to snap a two-game losing streak after dropping a pair at home to Cleveland State last weekend. The Red Flash have lost four of their last five games.
Senior Melissa Mackel leads the team in hitting (.285), hits (35), home runs (4) and slugging percentage (.439). Junior Kate Lancaster has a team-best eight doubles, 21 runs and 35 hits.
Sophomore Jeanine Gargiulo and freshman Ashley Harlan are atop the mound for St. Francis. Gargiulo has a 5.00 ERA and 4-19 record in 26 appearances, 21 starts and 17 complete games. She has struck out a team-best 46 hitters. Harlan has a 7.25 ERA and 5-15 record in 27 appearances, 22 starts and 16 complete games.
Niagara opened the 2005 season against St. Francis in the UMBC Spring Classic on March 11. Viola pitched a two-hit shutout in her collegiate debut to help the Niagara win, 8-0. The rookie struck out three hitters and gave up hits in the third and fifth innings.
Offensively, Niagara was led by Baker (4 for 4, double), Mongalise (2 for 4), Nicole Sum (Burnaby, B.C.) (2 for 3) and Healy (2 of 4, two RBI).
