St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Faces Fordham In Doubleheader
3/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 31, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's softball team (14-13, 4-4 BE) hosts the Fordham Rams (22-12, 4-2 A10) in a non-conference, doubleheader on Wednesday at 3 p.m., held at Red Storm Field.
• Live stats will be available for the game at www.RedStormSports.com. Live audio will also be streamed live with St. John's own play-by-play man, Joe Guster.
• St. John's leads the all-time series, 11-2. The two teams last played in 2003 at the ECU Pirate Classic and split two games.
• Senior slugger Roxy Struble continues to lead the Red Storm offense and was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for the fourth time this season. Struble also transitioned to shortstop after not playing the position since high school.
• The Red Storm went 5-1 last week and 3-1 in conference play. STJ swept doubleheaders vs. local rival Rider, and BIG EAST-foe Pittsburgh. The weekend was highlighted by a 5-4 victory over No. 14/16 Louisville.
STORM FRONT
• Senior slugger Roxy Struble continues to lead the Red Storm offense, pacing the team in batting average (.422), hits (35), home runs (6), RBI (23), total bases (59) and slugging percentage (.711). Struble has also switched positions to shortstop after playing both corner infield spots to start the season.
• Sophomore Linzee Sumrall has a 2.10 ERA on the season with 128 strikeouts in 90.0 innings this season. Sumrall picked up her first career save vs. Rider with a perfect seventh inning and her second just three days later vs. Louisville and is now tied for 17th in saves. Sumrall is also 11th in NCAA play with a 10.4 strikeouts per game.
• Starter Kat Lawrence has kept up in the K department, striking out 103 batters in 88.0 innings in 15 appearances this year. Lawrence is now 7-7 on the season with nine complete games.
• Sophomore leadoff hitter Chelsea Durning continues to be the sparkplug for the Red Storm offense. She leads St. John's in runs (19), triples (1), walks (6) and HBP (6) and is second on the squad in batting average (.337) hits (28), doubles (7) and on-base percentage (.421).
• Since transitioning to catcher after playing most of last season at third base, Kacee Cox is beginning to pick up where she left off last season. Cox, who was the team's offensive leader a season ago, has nine runs, five doubles, four home runs and 11 RBI this season. The Simi Valley, Calif., native has also done a great job behind the plate, managing the pitching staff to a 2.63 ERA and 235 strikeouts in just 181.0 innings.
• Junior transfer Stacia Dopudja has recently moved into the cleanup spot in the Red Storm lineup and is now third on the squad with a .329 batting average. The Southeast Missouri State transfer leads the team in doubles (8), and is second on the team in slugging percentage (.550) and third in home runs (3) and RBI (11).
• Freshman Kristi Cady is proving to be a fixture in the Red Storm lineup and in center, playing every game for St. John's this year. Cady's six walks lead the team and her six stolen bases and two doubles are second on the squad. She is also fourth on the team with eight runs.
• Freshman Jenna Berger has turned it on as of late and is fourth on the team with seven RBI. The middle infielder also has two doubles, five walks and two stolen bases.
SCOUTING FORDHAM
• The Fordham Rams are 22-12 on the season and 4-2 in the Atlantic 10 after going 36-30 a year ago and 11-9 in A10 play.
• Fordham is led by head coach Bridget Orchard who is 236-175 in seven seasons with the Rams and 365-217-3 in 11 years as a head coach.
• The team returns 11 letterwinners along with six starters and two pitchers. • The Rams are batting .284 and has a team ERA of 2.16.
• Freshman outfielder Lindsey Kay Bright leads Fordham with a .366 batting average and 18 stolen bases. Bright also has 22 runs and seven RBI.
• Sophomore catcher/shortstop is second on the team with a .340 a batting average and paces the squad with seven doubles, six home runs and 25 RBI.
• Freshman Jen Mineau leads the Rams with a 1.39 ERA and a 12-7 record in 26 appearances. She also has 12 complete games, three shutouts, 115.2 innings pitched, 104 strikeouts and a nation-leading four saves.
• Sophomore Chelsea Plimpton transferred from St. John's last year and is 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA over 15 appearnces. Plimpton also has two complete-game shutouts and 27 strikeouts over 54.1 innings.
ON DECK
St. John's continues its BIG EAST schedule this weekend, with a doubleheader at Rutgers. The two-game set starts at noon in Piscataway, N.J.
If you would like to receive the most up-to-date information on the 2008-09 St. John's softball team, please send your e-mail address to michael.gambardella03@stjohns.edu.
