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Clarkson University Athletics

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Softball April 15, 2016

CU Softball Preview - at RIT/Rochester (4/16-17)

Only six games have been played by the Clarkson University Softball team since the squad returned from Florida a month ago, but the team has certainly shown no rust in any facet of the game and the Golden Knights are currently on a six-game winning streak heading into the Liberty League weekend against RIT and the University of Rochester.

The Golden Knights enter the weekend with a record of 17-5 overall with 17 wins in their last 18 contests, including two victories over conference foe St. Lawrence on Thursday. RIT comes in at 8-12 overall and 1-3 in the league, while Rochester is 11-17 and 2-2 in conference games.

It might be a bit of an overstatement, but it seems unlikely that anyone in the country could be on more of a tear than outfielder Summer Lancette. The sophomore's last six games have been unreal, as she has gone 14-for-21 at the plate (.667) with a slugging percentage of 1.095 and on-base percentage of .680. In that stretch she has driven in 18 runs, scored nine times and stole nine bases. Sophomore shortstop Raeanna Dunn has been no slouch in that stretch either, hitting .542 with a .667 slugging percentage with 14 runs scored and nine steals of her own. The numbers of the one-two punch in the lineup make junior Jamie Bridge's numbers seem pedestrian, though her .429/.500/.571 line is impressive in its own right. Overall, the trio is hitting .545/.575/.773 since the Florida trip, helping push Clarkson's team averages to .312/.382/.402 for the season, with all three figures ranking either first or second in the Liberty League. The team's 54 steals are also twice as many as any other team in the conference, save for Rensselaer (32).

RIT's offense came out of the gates on a tear but has since cooled, though the Tigers still have the best batting average (.314) and slugging percentage (.428) in the conference. Sam Killian leads the league in hitting at .450, albeit in just 45 plate appearances over 20 games, with a .675 slugging percentage and 11 RBI. Four other hitters are hitting .380 or better for the Tigers, including Amanda Knox, who is hitting .400/.412/.700 with 17 runs batted in and 12 extra-base hits. Overall, four hitters rank in the top 10 in the conference in hitting. Sierra Valentine is the team's top pitcher, allowing opponents just a .237 batting average. The junior has a 3.44 earned run average and is tied for first in the conference with 69 strikeouts. Bouts of wildness can be an issue with Valentine, as she has walked 36 in 61 innings.

Rochester has been a top team in the Liberty League for some time, though the Yellowjackets are struggling somewhat in 2016. The team leads the league with 10 home runs, but only two full-time regulars are hitting better than .330. Jocelyn Blackshear is hitting .373/.403/.525 in 24 games and Harleigh Kaczegowicz has produced a slash line of .337/.369/.408 with 22 runs (third in the league) and 10 steals (tied for fourth in the conference). Kayla Kibling leads the team in hitting a .388, but has played in only 14 games. In the pitching circle and at the plate, Eleni Wechsler has served as a solid dual player for the Yellowjackets this year. She is hitting .291/.378/.407, but it is her performance from the slab that has helped Rochester the most. Wechsler has a 2.75 earned run average and is allowing opponents a .256 batting average in 99.1 innings. She has struck out 55, but she can also have trouble with control, as evidenced by the 51 walks she has allowed.
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Players Mentioned

Jamie Bridge

#6 Jamie Bridge

P/OF
5' 4"
Junior
R/R
Raeanna Dunn

#5 Raeanna Dunn

IF
5' 4"
Sophomore
L/R
Summer Lancette

#14 Summer Lancette

OF
5' 2"
Sophomore
L/R

Players Mentioned

Jamie Bridge

#6 Jamie Bridge

5' 4"
Junior
R/R
P/OF
Raeanna Dunn

#5 Raeanna Dunn

5' 4"
Sophomore
L/R
IF
Summer Lancette

#14 Summer Lancette

5' 2"
Sophomore
L/R
OF