SEATTLE - Seattle U softball begins Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play on Friday, hosting Tarleton in a three game series over Friday and Saturday at Logan Field.
All three games will feature live streaming on ESPN+ as well as live stats. The Redhawks are 2-1 all-time against Tarleton in Division I, taking the road series win last season in Stephenville, Texas, with two wins on 4/24.
FOLLOW THE REDHAWKS
- Friday, March 17 at 3:00 p.m.
- Seattle U (19-7, 0-0 WAC) vs. Tarleton (15-13, 0-0 WAC)
- ESPN+
- Live Stats
- Friday, March 17 at 5 p.m.
- Seattle U vs. Tarleton
- ESPN+
- Live Stats
- Saturday, March 18 at 1 p.m.
- Seattle U vs. Tarleton
- ESPN+
- Live Stats
ON A ROLL
Seattle U took four out of six over the last week of play, improving to 19-7 on the season which is the program's best start through 26 games in their Division I history. The Redhawks opened the weekend with back-to-back wins over Montana (4-1) and UNLV (6-4) on Friday. Four Redhawks posted multi-hit games, while senior Stefanie Madrigal held the Grizzles to just one run in a complete game effort. Sophomore Tai Wilson tied SU's single game hits record in the night cap, going 4-for-4 with a double in the victory. Graduate student Jocelynn De La Cruz opened the scoring in that one, smashing a two-run home run to center field.
The Redhawks kept the streak going on Saturday, walking it off against Montana, 2-1, in the bottom of the eighth. Redshirt freshman Katie Walling was the hero on the afternoon, hitting a sacrifice fly to right field allowing senior Brooke Milder to score the winning run. Sophomore Grace Luderer was stellar in the circle, throwing six strikeouts in eight innings of work.
SU grabbed its sixth straight on Sunday morning, completing a three game sweep of Montana, 8-0, with a run rule win in six. Junior Jasmine Wehn came out swinging in her first game of the weekend, going two-for-two with two RBIs and a double. De La Cruz hit her team-leading eighth home run of the year in the fifth, smacking a ball the opposite way over the fence. Sophomore Naomi Chaidez did a great job of getting Montana hitters off balance, allowing only three hits with a strikeout over five innings.
Seattle U's previous best 26 game opening stretch came during SU's DII days, beginning the season 21-5 in 2008.
GETTING ON BASE
The Redhawks have been stellar at the plate all season long, ranking 25th in the nation with a team batting average of .320. Six Redhawks have an average of .300 or better with five of those also sporting an OBP of .400 or better. Jocelynn De La Cruz leads the team in multi-hit games at 13 and multi-RBI games at 11, while five other Redhawks have recorded five or more multi-hit games.
Seattle U has had three players log hitting streaks of 10 or more games, with De La Cruz currently recording a hit in 10 straight. Five athletes have posted on base streaks of 10 or more with Sydney Frankenberger holding the most in a row this season at 15. So far this season, the Redhawks have recorded 238 hits, with 36 doubles, five triples and 17 home runs.
WAC AWARD WINNERS
Seattle U has already won two WAC Player of the Week awards entering conference play, with graduate student Jocelynn De La Cruz and senior Stefanie Madrigal winning hitter and pitcher of the week awards in back-to-back weeks.
Madrigal got the awards started, claiming her fourth career WAC Pitcher of the Week award (Feb. 19-26) after her performance at the Hawaii Invitational. The native of San Jose, Calif., went 3-0 over three appearances (two starts), posting an ERA of 0.88.
After picking up a win over St. Bonaventure out of the bullpen, Madrigal got the start against Marist and performed like she has all season. The senior claimed the victory after throwing a complete game, allowing only one run across five hits and striking out four. Madrigal ended the weekend with her best performance, throwing a complete game shutout against Hawaii.
De La Cruz followed the previous week, taking her first career WAC Hitter of the Week award (Feb. 26-Mar. 5) after the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, California. The Menifee, California, native was phenomenal at the plate over that weekend, hitting .471 with one double, four home runs and 13 RBIs
The 5-10, graduate student's first home run of the weekend came in her opening at bat against Fresno State on Saturday, smashing a three-run shot to center field. De La Cruz would connect on a solo home run in her very next at bat, tying Seattle U's single game home run record. She'd continue her great momentum at the plate later that day against LMU, going three-for-four with one double and one RBI.
De La Cruz opened the scoring against San Jose State on Sunday, crushing a two-run shot to left field for her third home run of the weekend. She capped off her stellar weekend with a grand slam against Minnesota, helping SU complete a seventh inning comeback.
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