Story by Eli Altherr
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio- The Wilmington College softball team will travel to University Heights for an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) doubleheader against John Carroll University (JCU) on Monday, April 2. The first game is at 1 p.m.
The Teams: Wilmington has a 7-5 overall record and is coming off a split with Albion College in their most recent doubleheader. The Quakers are 1-1 on the road this season. Wilmington is 0-2 in conference play and will look to pick up their first win in the OAC. John Carroll comes into this game with a 5-8 overall record. JCU is 0-2 in conference play and they will be playing in front of their home crowd for the first time this season. John Carroll lost both games by one run in their most recent doubleheader against Capital University.
Coaches: Beth Floyd is in her 11th season as Wilmington's softball head coach. She is the winningest softball coach in school history and is also the Associate Director of Athletics. Nicole Loudin is in her fifth season as the head coach for the Blue Streaks. She has two OAC tournament appearances.
Hitters to Watch: Wilmington's Allison Pierce is batting .406, has a team-high 13 hits and is tied with Micalah Hensley for the most RBI's on the team (six). Savannah Hooper has a team-high six stolen bases, has 12 hits, and is batting an average of .308. Sawyer Hooper has seven hits and is batting at a .368 clip. Lindsay McKnight for John Carroll has the highest batting average on the team at .381. She also leads the team in hits with 16 thus far. Hannah Mizener has hit two home runs and is batting an efficient .357 for JCU. Mizener also leads the team with 11 RBI's. Blue Streaks' Nikki Geringer is batting .353 and has six hits on the season.
Pitchers to Watch: Beth Persicano is coming off a complete-game shutout that helped the Quakers secure a 1-0 win over Albion College. She has a 2.65 ERA and has a 4-3 record this season. Grace Shell for Wilmington has a 3.29 ERA and also has a winning record at 3-2. Jessica Cook has a 1.36 ERA and has 13 strikeouts for John Carroll. Another Blue Streak pitcher to keep an eye on is Jenn Patterson. She has 14 strikeouts and a 3.22 ERA.
History: Wilmington is 6-27 all-time against the Blue Streaks and will try to snap a six-game losing streak against them.
Coverage: Live statistics and live video will be provided for both games - visit the link above.
Social Media: You can find updates on Wilmington College and their athletics on Twitter (@DubCQuakers), Instagram (@DubCQuakers), and Facebook (Wilmington College Athletics).
Up Next: The Quakers will travel to Cincinnati for a doubleheader against Mount Saint Joseph University starting at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 2.
