Softball looks for season sweep of Marauders

What: Millersville Marauders @ Kutztown Golden Bears
When: Saturday April 12, 2008 @ 1 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Where: North Campus Field on the campus of Kutztown University
Radio: Golden Bear Network at 12:50 p.m. (Jason Ogle and Mike Clay)

Game Info
The KU softball team will begin the second wave of PSAC East play on Saturday when they welcome the Millersville Marauders to town for a doubleheader. The Golden Bears (34-6 overall) enter the game ranked 10^th in division II after jumping eight spots in the most recent poll. The reason for the big jump is because they are coming off back-to-back sweeps of Bloomsburg and Shippensburg, arguably the second and third best teams in the division behind KU. Last Sunday, the ladies took two at Bloomsburg, who was ranked eight in the nation at the time, by scores of 5-1 and 2-1. On Monday, they completed a home sweep against SU by scores of 6-5 and 2-0. The Golden Bears latest action was a home doubleheader against West Chester on Friday in which KU swept the Golden Rams by scores of 4-0 and 4-2.

The Golden Bears (11-1) lead the PSAC East with Bloomsburg (7-3), Shippensburg (5-5), West Chester (5-7), East Stroudsburg (5-7), Millersville (4-6), and Mansfield (1-9) rounding out the division.

This will be the second doubleheader between Millersville and KU this season as the Golden Bears have already taken a pair earlier this year. On March 28, KU traveled to Pucillo field and breezed to two 9-0 wins.

The Marauders, 16-15 overall this season, are coming off a doubleheader split at Bloomsburg on Friday by scores of 0-4 and 3-0. Prior to that, MU split with ESU on Tuesday. The Warriors won game one 1-0 before the Marauders fought back in game two for a 4-1 victory.

Last season, KU came out victorious in three of the four meetings between each other. The Golden Bears won 2-1 and 12-6 on the road, before returning home for a 6-2 win and a 3-4 regular-season finale loss.

Similar to 2007, KU is one of the top teams in the region this year, while the Marauders will be fighting just to qualify for the PSAC playoffs.

Probable Starting Lineups
Kutztown:
1. Kim Morrison – 2B
2. Maria Schiavo – LF
3. Steph Denlinger – 1B
4. Ashley Fitzgerald – CA/DH
5. Krista Cameron – 3B
6. Krista Tedjeske – SS
7. Caitlin Hague – CA/DH
8. Maggie Reifsnyder – RF
9. Kathy Gregg – CF
SPs: Kait Arbogast & Monica Glomb/Mary Hoch

Millersville:
1. Shaina Briel – 2B
2. Lindsay Hosier – SS
3. Erin Hepner – 1B
4. Alexa Ashwell – CF
5. Casey Coker – 3B
6. Janell Mrakovich – DH/P
7. Trisha Johnson – CA
8. Maria Polyak – RF
9. Jillian Golomboski – LF
SPs: Emily Flieger & Janell Mrakovich

Scouting Report
The Golden Bears will be expected to handle the Marauders with ease, but divisional games always tend to be a challenge.

KU will rely on their outstanding offensive attack, which sports a deadly middle of the order. Steph Denlinger (.394-10-38), Ashley Fitzgerald (.429-11-39), and Krista Cameron (.365-4-27) should each approach 20 homers this season and will cause fits for the Marauder pitching staff. Kim Morrison (.244-3-14) will lead off for KU, but needs to find more ways to get on base. Maria Schiavo (.314-0-12), who teams with Morrison to set the table, is among the NCAA leaders in sacrifice hits in 2008.

Fellow freshmen Krista Tedjeske (.235-1-14) and Maggie Reifsnyder (.261-3-7) will likely hit in the six and eight slots, respectively. Caitlin Hague (.238-1-9) will see time at DH and catcher and bat seventh, while Kathy Gregg (.295-6-16) will hit ninth.

After allowing Kait Arbogast (15-4 1.81) to carry almost the entire pitching load as a freshman in 2007, Coach Judy Lawes has fellow freshmen Mary Hoch (7-0 1.20) and Monica Glomb (8-2 1.73) helping with the workload this year. Arbogast will start a game on Saturday with Glomb or Hoch likely to start the other.

Millersville’s offense is led by the bat of Janell Mrakovich (.314-5-28), who leads the team’s regulars in homers and RBIs and is fourth in batting average. Shaina Briel (.376-3-24) leads the team in batting average, while Briel and Erin Hepner (.344-0-8) leads the team in runs scored with 30 a piece.

Emily Flieger (5-5 4.45) and Janell Mrakovich (7-6 4.28) are likely to start for the Marauders, but Courtney Eckman (4-4 4.68) will be in the mix as well.

Following an emotional weekend sweep of BU and SU, the Golden Bears will hope to avoid a letdown on Saturday. KU simply need to come out and do their thing. They have the better offense and the better pitching, which should mean an easy sweep.