PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore softball team welcomes the University of Pennsylvania for two games on Wednesday, March 22 at the Henry S. Parker Complex.
The Hawks are hot heading into the midweek matchup. The squad has won four of their last six games including two in a row to win last weekend's series against Delaware State.
The Quakers are still searching for their first win of the season, dropping their first 19 games this season.
"Penn is not a team to overlook," Hawks coach Karla Ross said. "They are 0-19, however they have played a decent preseason schedule."
Checking on the Hawks
The Hawk offense was firing on all cylinders on Sunday.
A 16-hit performance tied the team's best under Ross. The squad also swiped six bases in the win, jumping into the top 20 nationally in stolen bases per game at 2.18.
Katelyn Smitchko was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for the second time this season, fanning 11 Hornets in two appearances in the circle while going 3-for-5 with a triple, 3 runs batted in and two runs scored.
Ameenah Ballenger went 5-for-12 with a double in the series with three runs batted in and tossed a complete game shutout with a career-high eight strikeouts in Saturday's second game.
Kelsie Ekstrom hit a blistering 4-for-5 with three doubles, four RBI's and three runs driven in on Sunday. She also drew three walks in the series. Jaycee Holt grabbed three hits in the three-game slate, while Ryan Merriwether and Ah-Nayia Oglesby each had two.
"Every game we are improving and getting that much better," Ross said. "We just need to keep clicking at the right times and executing when needed. Every game and win matters."
Scouting the Quakers
Junior infielder Sammy Fenton has been the top hitter for the visitors, boasting a .322/.355/.475 slash line on the year. Sophomore Madison Bauerle is close behind, batting .314 on the season, while senior catcher Sarah Schneider ranks third with a .298 average and second with a .456 slugging percentage.
Freshman Kelly Zybura and sophomore Rachel Riley are the team's top arms, tossing 48.0 and 47.2 innings, respectively. Of pitchers with at least 10 innings of work, Riley leads the team with a 6.02 ERA.
The last win for Penn came in the 2022 season finale, a 9-1 win in five innings on the team's senior day.
First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. from the Henry S. Parker Complex. For live stats of the doubleheader, visit https://easternshorehawks.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary.
