DAYTON - The University of Dayton softball team is set to open the home portion of its 2023 schedule Thursday as it plays host to Bellarmine. The Flyers and Knights will play two March 16 at UD Softball Stadium and first pitch is set for 2 p.m.

ABOUT DAYTON
Dayton (9-10) posted a 3-1 weekend at Austin Peay's Governors Classic March 11-12, picking up wins over UIC and Belmont. Sophomore Emma Schutter paces the Flyers' offense with a .410 average (4th A-10) and 25 hits (2nd A-10) while senior Emily Daniel is second on the team with a .360 average and she leads the league with 13 stolen bases. The Dayton pitching corps is led by freshman Izzy Kemp with a 1.27 ERA (2nd A-10), opposing batting average (.167 - 1st A-10) and batters struck out (65 - 2nd A-10) including 22 batters looking (22 - 1st A-10).

SCOUTING BELLARMINE
Bellarmine (1-17) opened the home portion of its 2023 schedule this past weekend with the Bellarmine Invitational as it played host to Eastern Illinois and Valparaiso. The Knights' final game of the weekend was cancelled due to darkness. Chloe Collins, one of three Knights that has started all 18 games this season, carries a .224 average on a team-best 13 hits, including four home runs, and has collected eight RBI. In the circle, Claire Lehmkuhler (0-9) holds a 6.90 ERA over a team-high 46.2 innings pitched and has tallied a team-high 48 strikeouts.

SERIES STUFF
Series Tied
Last meeting: March 6, 2021
The Flyers and the Knights split a doubleheader in Louisville with Dayton taking game one, 7-1, and Bellarmine winning game two, 7-4.

RPI RANKINGS
In the NCAA's Rating Percentage Index (RPI) for games through March 14, Dayton came in at 142 according to NCAA.com. Bellarmine was ranked 291.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
As a team, Dayton was 63-for-74 in stolen bases as a team in 2022 - the 63 stolen bases ranked second in the Atlantic 10. After 19 games in 2023, the Flyers are 34-for-38 in stolen bases led by senior Emily Daniel (13-for-14, 1st A-10) and sophomore Emma Schutter (11-for-11, 2nd A-10). The 34 team stolen bases on the season ranks second in the Atlantic 10.

#WINNING
Dayton head coach Cara Clark-LaPlaca tallied her 233rd career win at UD on April 15, 2017 at La Salle, surpassing former Flyer head coach Jodi Eickemeyer as Dayton's all-time winningest coach. She now has 354 wins at UD. Notable - coach Clark-LaPlaca currently has 485 overall career wins as a head coach.

THREE STRIKES YOU'RE OUT
Over 49.2 innings pitched in 13 appearances for the Flyers, freshman right-handed pitcher Izzy Kemp currently ranks second in the Atlantic 10 with 65 total strikeouts and first in the league with 22 batters struck out looking. Her average of 9.2 strikeouts per seven innings also leads the league.

CAREER CRIMINALS
Senior Emily Daniel and sophomore Emma Schutter have moved into Dayton's top 10 all-time stolen bases list this season. Daniel, who spent her freshman season (2020) at Wright State, is in seventh place with 37 career stolen bases while Schutter is tied with Tiffany Ricks (2012-15) for eighth place with 34.

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