April 04, 2019 / By mobanmarket
Throughout the 2017 softball season, the NFCA will feature some of the sport’s highest-profile contests in our “Featured Five” Games of the Week.
Each weekly installment will be released on Thursday, providing live stat links, game notes, team info, social media accounts and any available broadcast links in hopes of becoming another reason for fans to visit us during the season for information on some of collegiate softball’s best games.
As the year continues, we will attempt to expand our focus to include matchups throughout as many divisions as possible. This week’s featured games come from the NFCA’s NJCAA Leadoff Classic, NCAA Division I and III.
Make sure you follow the NFCA on our social media (NFCAorg) through Twitter, (Periscope), Instagram and on Facebook and let us know what you think of our “Featured Five” segment.
Leadoff Classic Tournament Central
Coverage: Watch
On Twitter: @ChipolaSoftball
Statistics: Chipola | Midland
Chipola: The Indians enter this weekend riding a nine-game winning streak, after winning all four games at a tournament hosted by Northwest Florida State… Chipola opened 2017 with 21 straight wins before suffering its only loss on Feb. 21 in game one of a doubleheader against Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College… Offensively, the Indians have outscored their opponents, 206-31, including 105-6 in the first three innings… Six of the nine starters are batting above .300 led by Debora Fernanda at .392 with five doubles and 22 RBI… Alexis Gramp is at .384 with a team-best nine doubles, seven home runs, 33 RBI and 33 runs scored… The squad also likes to swipe bases with 177 steals in 196 attempts; four player have 22 or more thefts led by Ashley Morris’ 32… In the circle, the two-headed monster of Krystal Goodman (0.27 ERA) and Morgan Goree (0.53 ERA), both 13-0, pace the pitching staff… Goodman has fanned 90 with just seven walks and has posted six shutouts and held opponents to a .133 average, while Goree has struck out 83 and held her opposition to a .172 batting average.
Midland: The Lady Chaps had their nine-game winning streak snapped in their last contest versus Cisco… Midland has not played since Feb. 25… As a team, the Lady Chaps are batting .404 with a .465 on-base percentage and three players are batting .536 or better… Bianca Cerda is at a team-best .560 with a team-high 11 doubles and 13 runs scored… Kassie Maddox is hitting .548 with seven doubles, two homers and a team-high 15 RBI, while Kayla Shaw (.536) has launched a team-best three home runs with five doubles, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored… Crystine Kistner is 7-2 with a 1.82 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 50 innings of work.
Leadoff Classic Tournament Central
On Twitter: @jcjc_athletics | @KCCSoftball
Statistics: Jones County / Kirkwood
Jones County: Coming off a a MACJC-opening sweep of No. 12 East Central, Jones County extended their undefeated start to 13 games… The 2016 national runner-up is hitting .341 with 13 home runs and 89 runs scored… Kelly Byrd leads the way offensively with a .526 batting average, five home runs, 15 RBI, 15 runs scored, a .600 OBP and .947 slugging percentage… Kelsha Loftin is hitting .500 with 11 RBI, 11 runs and eight stolen bases… In the circle, Amanda Holliday and Karli Perque are each 4-0… Holliday has posted a 1.17 ERA with 15 strikeotus, while Perque has 29 strikeouts in 24 innings with a 1.46 ERA… Madison Burge is 3-0 with a staff-low 1.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 14 innings.
Kirkwood: Undefeated in their first 10 contests, the Eagles are coming off a doubleheader sweep of McHenry County, outscoring their opponent 40-0, including a 32-0 win in game two… Kirkwood is averaging 13.9 runs per game, batting .507 and posting a .560 on-base percentage… Seven players are batting .469 or better led by 2016 Schutt Sports / NFCA NJCAA Player of the Year Taylor Nearad… Nearad is hitting .636 (21-for-33) with eight doubles, four triples, a home run, seven RBI, 23 runs, a .690 OBP and 1.212 slugging percentage… DoniRae Mayhew is just behind her at .625 with a team-best four home runs and 21 RBI… Lexi Kinnaird is 4-0 with a 1.30 ERA and 57 strikeouts to just one walk in 27 innings, averaging 14.8 punchouts per seven innings.
NFCA NJCAA Leadoff Classic (All Times Eastern)
March 10
9 a.m. (NJCAA I) – No. 2 Chipola vs. No. 16 Shelton State
4:30 p.m. (NJCAA II) – No. 5 Kirkwood vs. No. 19 CCBC Catonsville
March 11
9 a.m. – No. 16 (DI) Shelton State vs. No. 19 (DII) CCBC Catonsville
11:30 a.m. (NJCAA II) – No. 2 LSU Eunice vs. No. 5 Kirkwood
11:30 a.m. (NJCAA II) – No. 1 Jones County vs. No. 6 Des Moines Area
March 12
11:30 a.m. (NJCAA II) – No. 6 Des Moines Area vs. No. 19 CCBC Catonsville
Follow: Live Stats (G1 / G2)
On Twitter: @GopherSoftball | @UWSoftball
Statistics: Minnesota
Minnesota (Preview / Notes): The Gophers are off to a historic 18-0 start to the season… Previously their longest win streak to start a season was eight and 15 was their longest win streak ever… The No. 7 ranking in both major polls is the highest ranking in program history for Minnesota… The Gophers pitching staff has a combined 1.40 ERA which is the lowest in the Big Ten… Leading the way is Sara Groenewegen, topping the Big Ten in wins (9), ERA (0.50) and opposing team batting average (.137) and second in strikeouts with 72 already… MaKenna Partain has started every game at second base and leads the team with a .472 batting average… Sydney Dwyer is hitting .434 with five doubles, two home runs and has a team leading 20 RBIs.
Washington (Preview): Washington is coming off a 4-1 showing at the Judi Garman Classic with two run-rule wins over Iowa and Indiana, as well as wins over Fresno State and Northwestern… Head coach Heather Tarr is currently three wins away from reaching her 500th win as a head coach… She was just named to USA Softball’s National team coaching staff for the first time in her career as an assistant… Taran Alvelo is 9-1, suffering her first defeat to then-No. 22 Baylor last weekend… Sis Bates currently leads the team in hits (26) and triples (3)… The freshman currently holds a .481 batting average and a .492 on base percentage… The Huskies are just one loss shy of a perfect record in the Husky Classic… With a 39-1 all-time series record, the team has only given up one non-conference regular season loss to Portland State in 2008.
Follow: Watch | Listen (ULL) | Live Stats
On Twitter: @BaylorSoftball | @ULRaginCajuns / @RaginCajunsSB
Stats: Baylor | Louisiana
Baylor: Following a doubleheader sweep at Northwestern State, the red-hot Baylor Bears have now won 14 of their last 15 contests, which included four wins over nationally-ranked competition (Michigan, Arizona State, UCLA, Washington) at the Judi Garman Classic… Those four victories aided Baylor’s jump of seven spots to No. 15 in the USA Today / NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll… Contributing to those victories was pitcher Kelsee Selmen, who posted three wins and a save in thos victories, and was lauded with Louisville Slugger / NFCA Division I National Pitcher of the Week honors for her tremendous showing last week… Selman is 10-2 on the season with a 1.33 ERA, two shutouts and 55 strikeouts in 68.1 innings, while holding opponents to a .189 batting average… At the dish, Kyla Walker is batting .447 with 34 hits, two doubles, two triples, 12 RBI adn a team-best 18 runs scored… Shelby Friudenberg leads the squad with five long balls and 20 RBI.
Louisiana: This will conclude a season-opening 22-game homestand for the Ragin’ Cajuns, who have won 13 of their last 14 games… Louisiana is coming off a 6-0 run through the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational last weekend, outscoring foes 71-6 in extending their current win streak to seven games… Michael Loteif earned his 700th career victory on March 5 with a 18-0 win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi… The Ragin’ Cajuns offense has climbed to No. 2 in scoring (8.67) and home runs per game (1.57), No. 4 in on base percentage (.461), No. 5 in slugging percentage (.573) and No. 20 in batting average (.337) in the latest NCAA stats rankings… Lexie Comeaux, who was named Sun Belt Player of the Week, hit six home runs and posted 15 RBI as part of a personal offensive explosion during the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational last weekend at Lamson Park… For the weekend, she hit .600 (9-of-15) with eight of her nine hits going for extra bases (two doubles, six home runs) resulting in a 1.933 slugging percentage.
March 10
11 a.m. No. 13 James Madison vs. RV Pittsburgh (Greenville, N.C.) | Live Stats
7 p.m. – No. 12 LSU at No. 2 Auburn – Live Stats | Listen (LSU / Auburn) | SEC+
7:30 p.m. – RV Arkansas at No. 11 Alabama – Live Stats | Listen (Alabama) | SEC+
March 11
10 a.m. – No. 13 James Madison vs. RV Pittsburgh (Greenville, N.C.) | Live Stats
11:30 a.m. – No. 24 Missouri at No. 3 Florida – Live Stats | Listen (UF) | ESPNU
4 p.m. – No. 17 Michigan at No. 19 Kentucky – Live Stats | SEC+
6:30 p.m. – RV Arkansas at No. 11 Alabama – Live Stats | Listen (Alabama) | SEC Network
8:30 p.m. – No. 12 LSU at No. 2 Auburn | Live Stats | Listen (LSU / Auburn) | SEC+
March 12
2 p.m. – No. 17 Michigan at No. 19 Kentucky – Live Stats
2:30 p.m. – RV Arkansas at No. 11 Alabama – Live Stats | Listen (Alabama) | SEC Network
5 p.m. – No. 12 LSU at No. 2 Auburn | Live Stats | Listen (LSU / Auburn) | SEC+
6 p.m. – No. 24 Missouri at No. 3 Florida – Live Stats | Listen (UF) | ESPNU
7 p.m. – RV Texas at No. 10 UCLA | Live Stats | Watch | Listen (UCLA)
Follow: Watch | Live Stats
On Twitter: @Patriot_Softball | @ETBU_Softball
Stats: Texas-Tyler | ETBU
Notes: The annual showdown of American Southwest Conference and national softball powers was delayed a day due to inclement weather, but it proved worth the wait, with a split of a pair of one-run games. The (16-2) Patriots suffered just their second loss since last May in Wednesday’s second game of a doubleheader against longtime rival East Texas Baptist (15-1) on Lindsey Vasquez’s eighth-inning walkoff double, while the Tigers were beaten for the first time this season in the opener. The lifetime series between the two Texas schools is tied at 34 heading into Thursday’s series finale.
Texas-Tyler: The Patriots are led by the formidable 1-2 pitching punch of senior Alaina Kissinger (9-0, 36 strikeouts, two walks over 54.1 innings) and freshman Whitney Romero (6-1, 36 strikeouts, six earned runs over 43.2 innings), who have combined to strike out 72 batters already this season. … On offense, senior catcher KK Stevens (.385 average, five doubles, 19 RBI) and sophomore outfielder Cheyenne Thompson (.460, seven doubles, triple, 25 RBI) each have four homers to lead a team that has already produced 154 runs. … Seniors Kaylee Prather (.552), Mel Hinojosa (.431) and Bianca Van Vlerah (.424) and junior Courtney Fisher (.500) also contribute to Texas-Tyler’s deep lineup.
East Texas Baptist: The Tigers’ story mirrors Tyler’s, with strong pitching accompanied by prolific hitting. … Junior Rocki Tello is 7-1 and fellow junior Jordan Anderson is 4-0, while senior Jayme Perez (.491, six homers, 28 RBI) is also 4-0 in the circle when she isn’t clouting long home runs at the plate. … Senior outfielder Lindsey Vasquez (.480, five doubles, triple), sophomore utility player Linzie Lewis (.467, six doubles, 21 RBI) and sophomore utility player Katy Hill (.429) are all hitting over .400 in the lineup.
Other Notable DIII Games (All times ET)
March 9
3:30 p.m. – No. 2 St. John Fisher vs. No. 16 Coe (Kissimmee, Fla.) — Live Stats
5:45 p.m. – No. 2 St. John Fisher vs. No. 12 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Kissimmee, Fla.) — Live Stats
March 10
11 a.m. – No. 12 Worcester Polytechnic Institute vs. No. 16 Coe (Kissimmee, Fla.) — Live Stats
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