Sophomore Tory Healy

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – For the second consecutive weekend, the Niagara University softball team (2-1) will travel to the Old Dominion state when it plays in the Mason Dixon Classic in Virginia Beach.

The Purple Eagles play host George Mason at 1 p.m. and Brown University at 3 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, Niagara plays the University of Delaware at 11 a.m. and Brown at 3 p.m. The classic concludes Sunday when the Purple Eagles play Cornell at 9 a.m and 11 a.m.

Niagara began the 2006 season last weekend, finishing 2-1 in the Patriot Invitational in Fairfax, Va. The team hit .239 and the pitching staff posted a 4.26 earned-run average for the three games.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week Jennifer Yee (North Delta, B.C.) leads the Purple Eagle offensive attack, hitting .750. She was 6 of 8 at the plate last weekend and collected two doubles, a home run and two RBI.

2006 MAAC Preseason pick Tory Healy (Las Vegas, Nev.) is hitting .333 with three hits, including a pair of doubles. Junior Ashley Bognar (Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O’Hara) and freshman Heather Lohrman (Newport Beach, Calif.) are also hitting .333.

On the mound, MAAC Pitcher of the Week Tiffany McCrory (Albuquerque, N.M.) sports a 1-0 record with a 0.0 ERA and five strikeouts.

George Mason enters the Classic still looking for its first win of the season. The Patriots are 0-11 after dropping all three of their games last weekend. Brown is 2-4 on the season and went 1-1 in the Charleston Southern Tournament March 4-5.

Delaware stands at 2-3 overall and plays at UMBC today. The Blue Hens look to snap a three-game losing streak after dropping three at the Pirate Clash at East Carolina last weekend. Cornell finished with a 2-2 record in the Patriot Invitational, winning its last two outings.