DAYTON, Ohio – The University of Dayton softball team (13-21, 5-5 Atlantic 10) will play host to the visiting UMass Minutewomen and the Rhode Island Rams at UD Softball Stadium this weekend. Dayton will host UMass on Friday and Saturday before hosting a doubleheader against Rhody on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Dayton broken the single-season home run record after freshman Kasi Vazquez launched the team’s 31st of the season. Her blast helped break a decade-old record held by the 2000 softball team. UD was swept in the doubleheader against Morehead State.
Lauren Nacke continues to lead Dayton with a .379 average. She has been an even more lethal threat in Atlantic 10 action. Nacke is hitting .517 in conference-only games and has six of her 11 home runs in that span.
The Flyer defense has also been strong with several excellent plays. UD has turned five double plays in the last six games, including a critical double play in the top of the seventh inning against Morehead State, which kept the Eagles from scoring the go-ahead run.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Alysha Isaacson has been strong in the circle since setting a new season-best in strikeouts with six during the Butler series. Isaacson has a 1.42 ERA in her last four starts, and has pitched two complete games in that same time. Most recently she pitched 9.2 innings allowing one earned run against Morehead State.
UMass (16-14, 7-3 A-10) is 9-1 in its last ten games after starting off 6-0 at the UMass Softball Complex. Junior second baseman Kyllie Magill leads the team in both RBIs (18) and runs scored (17), while batting .298 on the season. She is also 7-of-8 in stolen base attempts.
Junior pitcher Sara Plourde became just the third UMass pitcher to reach 900 career strikeouts last weekend with 30 K's against Saint Bonaventure. Plourde has 905 career strikeouts and she has a 1.41 ERA this season. Dayton will face UMass on Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at Noon in single games.
Rhode Island (4-33, 0-10 A-10) is led by Nicole Massoni, who is hitting .286 and leads URI with seven home runs and 21 RBI. Fallon Scorpio is hitting .272 and has seven doubles and 20 RBI.
Alison Hartzell has made 15 starts in 21 appearances for the Rams. She has a 6.20 ERA in 90.1 innings pitched. Hartzell has fanned 67 and walked 54 on the year. Jayshree Narendran has thrown four complete games and has a 7.72 ERA in 17 appearances. Dayton will face Rhode Island on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for Noon.
A live video stream will be available for Sunday’s doubleheader against Rhode Island. Live stats are also available for every game at UD Softball Stadium and admission is free to the ballpark.
