DAYTON, Ohio – The University of Dayton welcomes Atlantic 10 foe La Salle University to the Gem City for a three-game 10 series this weekend, starting with a double header on Saturday, April 16 at UD Softball Stadium.

SERIES PREVIEW
Dayton comes into the weekend with a 17-15-1 record and looks to maintain its spot at the top of the Atlantic 10 standings, currently sitting in second place with a conference record of 6-2-1.

La Salle sits at 10-18 overall in 2016 with a record of 2-6 in A-10 play, putting them in ninth in the conference. The Explorers split with St. Bonaventure their last time on the field, having a midweek double header against Villanova postponed due to rain. Head Coach Ron Shoemaker is in his second season at the helm of La Salle.

WHO TO WATCH – DAYTON
The Flyers come into the weekend hitting .228 as a team. They have two hitters over the .300 threshold in junior Gabrielle Snyder and senior Krista Gustafson, who are hitting .396 and .306 respectively. Snyder leads the team with eight doubles on the season despite missing 10 games. 

Dayton's strength is found in the pitching circle, with the Flyers turning in a 2.05 ERA as a team, tops in the Atlantic 10 and 17th in the country. Leading the way for UD is Snyder and sophomore Manda Cash, who have ERAs of 1.29 and 1.49 respectively. Opponents are hitting just .203 off of Flyer pitching this season.

Cash earned her third Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week award on April 11 thanks to her outstanding performances against Saint Louis and George Mason. She followed up that with a one-hit, one-run outing against No. 23/RV Ohio State on Wednesday April 13.

WHO TO WATCH – LA SALLE
The Explorers enter the weekend with a batting average of .234, led by senior Kendra Heyer and junior Christina Bascara, who are hitting .320 and .312 respectively. The top power threat comes from junior Michelle Hagarty, who has bopped seven home runs and driven in a team-high 17 runs.

Pitching has been a trouble spot for La Salle this season, with the team's ERA sitting at 5.81. Mary Cate Scott is the leader in both ERA and wins for the Explorers, turning in a 4.56 mark and recording eight victories. 

WEATHER
The weekend forecast is just short of perfect for Dayton, with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70's and a call for sunny skies with little to no chance of rain.

SERIES INFORMATION
Dayton holds an all-time record of 32-14 against La Salle, sweeping the 2015 series in Philadelphia. 

Current Flyers Gabrielle Snyder and Manda Cash had big weekends for UD in last year's series, with Snyder going 6-for-12 at the plate with four RBI, three runs scored and three doubles, while Cash picked up two wins and a save in the circle. In total, the southpaw allowed one run in 12 innings of work, striking out 21 batters and allowing only two hits.

UP NEXT
Dayton concludes its five-game home stretch with a double header against Ohio University on Wednesday, April 20, starting at 3 p.m. at UD Softball Stadium.