#BIGEASTsb Hits Off Second Week of Conference Play
NEW YORK – With one week of BIG EAST action in the books, competitive-conference play has left only one of eight league teams undefeated as St. John’s enters Week 2 with a 3-0 record. Following the Johnnies are Villanova and Creighton at 2-1; DePaul and Butler at 1-1; Seton Hall and Georgetown at 1-2 and Providence at 0-3.
Butler (13-17, 1-1 BIG EAST)
Last weekend, the Bulldogs split a two-game series at home against the Blue Demons. With DePaul seizing the opener, 7-2, Butler rallied to take the second game, 7-4. Rain and field conditions cancelled Sunday’s series finale between the two teams. The Bulldogs followed up with a single game against IUPUI on Tuesday evening. Home runs from Christina Candotti and Kaitlin Doud, propelled Butler to a 5-2 victory and a two-game winning streak. Overall, Brandyce Sallee paces the Bulldogs at the plate with a .408 batting average. She is 20-for-49 and has tallied six runs and 10 RBI this season. Sarah Dixon follows close behind with a .385 batting. The junior leads the team with 18 RBI and three home runs. In the circle, Kaitlin Doud holds a 2.87 ERA, while Gabbi Schnaiter has collected five wins. This weekend, Butler will push to extend its win streak in three-game BIG EAST series against Villanova at home.
Creighton (11-17, 2-1 BIG EAST)
The Bluejays opened conference play with a 2-1 showing at Georgetown last weekend. After falling 5-2 in the series opener, Creighton enjoyed an 11-6 triumph in game two and a 3-2 victory in game three. With its nonconference matchup against Nebraska postponed for this week, the Bluejays now turn their attention to Preseason favorite, St. John’s. At the plate, Creighton is fueled by Tash Coffiel with 25 hits and a .329 batting average. She is followed by Ashley Cantu and Sam Dellinger with .324 and .304 batting averages, respectively. Cantu leads the team with 16 runs, while Dellinger owns a team-best eight extra-base hits (five doubles, three home runs) and .481 slugging percentage. In addition to her production at the plate, Dellinger holds a Creighton-low 2.36 ERA in 35.2 innings pitched over 11 appearances, including four starts. The freshman has two complete games, two wins and two saves.
DePaul (14-13, 1-1 BIG EAST)
After splitting the series against Butler, the Blue Demons look to play up their home-field advantage over Seton Hall this weekend at Cacciatore Stadium. At the plate, DePaul is steered by Micah Fitzgerald and Nicole Pihl. Fitzgerald holds a team-best .329 batting average and a 26 hits while Pihl boast a team-best 21 RBI. In the circle, Missy Zoch has collected seven wins over 16 appearances this season.
Georgetown (8-19, 1-2 BIG EAST)
The Hoyas’ managed to take a game against Creighton last week, behind a solid performance from Mallory Belknap. The sophomore went 3-for-4 at the play and claimed a run. Georgetown will stay home for a second consecutive week as it hosts Providence in the nation’s capital.
Providence (18-16, 0-3 BIG EAST)
The Friars’ dropped three straight at St. John’s in their BIG EAST opener but bounced back with 7-1 victory over Fairfield on Wednesday. Traveling to Washington D.C., Providence will look stay on track in its series against Georgetown. Last year, the Friars swept the series at home. Providence is led by Nicole Lundstrom and Emma Lee, who both boast a .371 batting average. Lundstrom has contributed 26 hits, 21 runs and 15 RBI while Lee has dished 33 hits, 18 runs and nine RBI.
St. John's (15-10, 3-0 BIG EAST)
The Red Storm capped a three-game sweep of Providence to open BIG EAST play with an 11-0 victory which included a no-hitter by BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week Tori Free. Kaitlin Mattera leads the St. John's offense with a .413 batting average and .519 on-base percentage. The Red Storm own a .306 team-batting average, good enough for second in the BIG EAST. Gretchen Bowie ranks second in the league with 21 RBIs and is tied for the team-lead with three home runs. Four different pitchers have started at least five games for the St. John's as the team leads the conference with a 3.25 ERA and 15 victories. McKenzie Murray leads the group with a 2.70 ERA and 6-0 record in 46.2 innings pitched.
Seton Hall Scout (14-12-1, 1-2 BIG EAST)
The Pirates are coming off a BIG EAST play-opening set against Villanova that saw The Hall pick up a dramatic 10-inning win in game one before dropping the final two contests. Most recently, the Pirates dropped a midweek contest at Fordham on Wednesday. Despite the three-game tear, the Hall continues to boast the BIG EAST's top offense, leading the league with 5.9 runs per game and an .897 OPS. The Pirates also rank first in the nation with 2.0 doubles per game, led by 11 from Alexis Walkden. The junior tops the Pirates across the board offensively, slashing .390/.515/.841 with eight home runs and 21 RBI.
Villanova (16-9, 2-1 BIG EAST)
The Wildcats are on a five-game streak after winning the second game of their three-game series at Seton Hall. Taking their BIG EAST opener 2-1 over the Pirates, the Wildcats have since swept Delaware State and La Salle in midweek nonconference match ups. Villanova’s success is powered by four hitters batting over .360 on the season. Nikki Alden leads the team and the conference at .456, followed by Lauren Herschberg (.390), Natalia Segovia (.373) and Megan Ruiz (.361). Alden also leads the team and the BIG EAST in slugging percentage (1.000) and RBI (26). Behind these heavy hitters, Villanova looks to extend its momentum in its visit to Butler this weekend.
BEDN Highlight
Fans can catch the series finale between DePaul and Seton Hall on the BIG EAST Digital Network through FOX Sports GO. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET.