Weekend Preview

Amherst, MA

St. Bonaventure travels down to Amherst on Sunday for a critical matchup against UMass. The Bonnies could make a huge statement here by either splitting or sweeping against UMass. If St. Bonaventure can avoid a sweep they can really move up in the standings. For UMass, it is all about taking care of business and if they can they could see themselves right at the top of the A10 standings with a little help. Sara Plourde has been dominating in the circle lately and if she can keep it up it could be a long day on Sunday for the Bonnies. Caroline Raymond has also been throwing the ball well and she has been a great complement to Plourde in the circle. The biggest change with the Minutewomen as of late has been the offensive production which has really increased over the past week. This might be a better series than one might expect, but I am not sure if St. Bonaventure can beat Sara Plourde.

Kingston, RI

St. Bonaventure heads to the Ocean State for two games against Rhode Island on Friday and Saturday. The Bonnies need a sweep to stay in the race for one of those final spots in the A10 tournament, while the Rams just need some wins. Rhode Island has been playing slightly better as of late, but they do not have a win in conference play yet. The Rams have had some big issues in the circle and they must figure those out against a St. Bonaventure squad that has been hitting HR at a good pace this year. The Bonnies have been battered around in the circle at times, but they will need to be sharp as they need to limit the free passes and keep the ball in the field of play.

Bronx, NY

George Washington heads down to the Bronx to face off against Fordham. Both of these teams are looking to get back on track after stumbling a bit over the last two weeks. Both teams will need to get things going at the plate, which is something that both squads have struggled with so far. Each team has their best hitter leading off, Chelsea Lenhart for George Washington and Jocelyn Dearborn for Fordham, but the series will come down to whoever can provide support behind them. In the circle, Kara Clauss has been very effective for George Washington and she will need to have her A game against Fordham. Jen Mineau and Chelsea Plimpton need to keep throwing the ball well for the Rams. Fordham is the more talented team, but it will all come down to whoever grits it out more.

La Salle will head down to the Bronx for the second time this year and this time they will play Fordham. This is going to be a tough series for the Explorers and it is going to be one that La Salle will need to pull out all the stops for. That being said Fordham is probably going to sweep this series and the Rams desperately need this sweep. The Rams really cannot afford any more losses in conference play at this time and with a good weekend and some help the Rams could vault into 1st place.

Ambler, PA

1st place Charlotte and 2nd place Temple face off in a big showdown. There could be quite a few runs put up in this one, especially since both teams love to hit the long ball. In the circle, both teams are going to rely on their senior aces who have been getting the job done out there. Kristen Marris has been on a roll lately for the Owls and she has won her last 6 games in conference play. Marris has been doing it all for Temple and she is going to need to have another big weekend at the plate and in the circle. The 49ers will once again turn to Katy Hackett in the circle who has just gotten it done for Charlotte plain and simple. At the plate, Coach DeVos will once again look to the "Bri and T" show. Briana Gwaltney and Tenaya Tucker have been tearing it up at the plate and Kristen Marris is going to have her hands full with them.

Philadelphia, PA

1st place Charlotte faces off against the other team tied for 2nd place in St. Joseph's. The Hawks are a little different from their counterparts across the city in that they rely on their pitching more so than their hitting. Erin Gallagher has been stellar all year and she will keep Charlotte on the ground with her dropball and changeup. She matches up well with the 49ers, but she came out on the losing end of three games last year. I think she is hungry for some wins and revenge against this squad. Katy Hackett is going to need to keep the Hawks off the board because I am not expecting the 49ers to score many runs against Gallagher. Dana Parks and Laura Cardone have done a nice job setting the table for the Hawks, while Monica Aguilar and Shannon Kramer have been the big run producers in the Hawk lineup. I think the key for the 49ers is production from players other than Tucker and Gwaltney, if the rest of the lineup can get going the 49ers could open up a lead in the A10, if not they could find themselves back in the middle of the pack.

St. Louis, MO

Dayton heads down to St. Louis for as the two Midwestern teams in the A10 face off against each other. The Flyers and Billikens are facing off and both squads are looking for a sweep. Dayton and St. Louis are both in the middle of the pack and they could get some nice separation with a sweep. This is especially important for Dayton, which hasn't been able to get over the hump in the past. Dayton has the advantage at the plate with some powerful bats, most notably Lauren Nacke. Dayton is going to have to exploit this advantage over the Billikens, especially since St. Louis has the advantage in the circle. The Billikens are led by Kelcie Matesa and Hannah Huebbe and this gives them a big advantage in the circle. In the end, this game will come down to whichever comes through: the bats or the pitching.