Softball Heads Upstate to Face Off with Niagara and Canisius

Series One Info
Series: Saint Peter's (17-26, 3-7 MAAC) at Niagara (12-20, 6-6 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, April 30, 2022
Location: Niagara University, N.Y. | Niagara Softball Field
Time: 12:00 PM & 2:00 PM

Series Two Info
Series: Saint Peter's (17-26, 3-7 MAAC) at Canisius (23-16, 10-4 MAAC)
Date: Sunday, May 1, 2022
Location: Buffalo, N.Y. | Demske Sports Complex

First Pitch

• The Saint Peter's University softball team returns to MAAC play with a trip to upstate New York to take on Niagara and Canisius in a pair of conference doubleheaders as they look to climb in the MAAC standings.
• The Peacocks head into the contest after dropping both legs of a doubleheader against Fairleigh Dickinson University Thursday 9-2 and 7-6.
• The Purple Eagles have lost three straight after falling in a MAAC doubleheader at Fairfield and losing a midweek matchup against Syracuse.
• The Griffs, meanwhile, head into the weekend riding a three-game winning streak and have won seven of their last eight matchups as they sit atop the MAAC standings.

Looking Back at FDU

• After jumping ahead 4-0 early and holding a 6-5 lead in the seventh inning of game one, the Peaocks were unable to complete the victory as they fell 7-6 after dropping game one 9-2 to drop a pair of home contests against FDU.
• Courtney Fraher had the biggest blow of game one for the Peacocks with a two-RBI single to finish the game 1 for 3 with two RBIs.
• Kristen Brennan came on in relief in the circle in game two and was effective, giving up just one earned run over 3.2 innings with four strikeouts.
• Aubrey Ketcham drove in a pair of runs in game two from the leadoff spot and finished the contest 1 for 4.
• Olyvia Smith, Cara McNulty, Sophie Wilson and Maiah Skakal all had single hits in both games for the Peacocks to lead the offense.
• She didn't collect a hit in the contest, but Katie Sciglimpaglia was effective nonetheless with two RBIs and a walk in game two.
• Samantha Miller came up with another big hit as she went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored in the second contest.

Inside the Numbers

• McNulty is the team-leader in batting average hitting .348 and has hit safely in 11 of her last 14 games. She currently ranks inside the top-10 in the MAAC in average, hits and RBIs.
• Smith has also been strong at the plate hitting .299 while being a catalyst at the top of the lineup. Smith is the team leader in runs scored with 23 and stolen bases with seven.
• Katie Sciglimpaglia has been one of the toughest players to strike out in Division I this season with only nine punchouts in 129 at-bats. Her strikeout ratio of 14.3 ranks fourth in the MAAC and 98th in the country this season. 
• In the circle, Taylor leads the team with a 4.03 ERA while freshman Kasidy Slusser's five wins are the most for a Peacock pitcher since Erica Colon had five in the 2014 season.
• SPU has been dynamite defensively this season ranking second in the MAAC and 61st in the country with a .968 fielding percentage on the year.
• As a team, the Peacocks have now hit 14 home runs this season to top their total from the entirety of the 2021 and 2020 seasons.
• SPU will head into the doubleheader with 17 wins, the most victories since recording 22 in the 2007 season.

Up Next

• After the weekend, the Peacocks welcome Howard University to Joseph J. Jaroschak Field for their final non-conference doubleheader of the season starting at 2:00 p.m.

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