FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University softball team is set for its final road tournament of the season this weekend, as the Pioneers head to Lynchburg, Va., for the Flames Classic, hosted by Liberty. SHU is scheduled to play five games at the event, between March 9-11. 

Flames Classic Game Information
Game 1: Sacred Heart at Liberty – Thursday, Mar. 9; 3:00 p.m. | ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 2: Sacred Heart vs. Ball State – Friday, Mar. 10; 2:30 p.m. | Live Stats
Game 3: Sacred Heart vs. Ball State – Friday, Mar. 10; 4:30 p.m. | Live Stats
Game 4: Sacred Heart vs. Maryland – Saturday, Mar. 11; 12:00 p.m. | Live Stats
Game 5: Sacred Heart vs. Fairfield – Saturday, Mar. 11; 4:30 p.m. | Live Stats
*All live stats can be found at sacredheartpioneers.com

LAST TIME OUT
The Pios head to Liberty fresh off a 3-2 week at the Red and Black Softball Tournament hosted by Gardner-Webb. Sacred Heart began the event with wins over the host Runnin' Bulldogs on Friday and Detroit Mercy on Saturday, the latter being a 12-4 triumph in five innings. The Pioneers fell in their next two contests against Chattanooga and Harvard before bouncing back with an 11-3 victory over Gardner-Webb to end the tourney on Sunday. In the finale against GWU, the Pios hit a whopping six home runs, with two from both Alyssa Gonzalez and Emily Carroll. 

TWICE AS NICE
After putting on a show at the Gardner-Webb tournament, the Pioneers earned a pair of weekly awards from the Northeast Conference, as Gonzalez was named the NEC Player of the Week and Nicole Henke was tabbed Rookie of the Week. Gonzalez paced the team with a .500 batting average, a 1.250 slugging percentage, and three home runs over four appearances at the tourney, while Henke tallied a .308/1.077/.438 slash line with three home runs and a team-high eight RBI. Gonzalez's Player of the Week nod is the second of her career and the first for a Pio this season, while Henke joined teammate Sam Kowalski in collecting Rookie of the Week honors in 2023. 

STUDYING THE FIELD
Liberty (10-9 Overall) 
The host Flames sit one game above .500 heading into their tournament but have played an excruciating schedule to start the season. Liberty began the year by playing six nationally-ranked opponents in its first nine games, including No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 UCLA. The Flames lost all six of those contests. However, following that grueling starting stretch, Liberty has won nine-straight games, all at home. Caroline Hudson and Devyn Howard have been two of Liberty's strongest hitters, as Hudson paces the team in home runs (7) and RBI (18), and Howard leads the Flames in hits (19) and runs (18).

Ball State (8-7 Overall) 
The Cardinals also sit one game above .500 a day before the Flames Classic, but they have a doubleheader versus East Tennessee State on the schedule tonight. Most recently, Ball State went 3-2 at the Bulldog Classic in Athens, Ga., falling twice to the host, No. 16-ranked Georgia, and earning wins over Samford and Stetson twice. Senior infielder Haley Wynn has been on fire to start the season, as she ranks 20th nationally with a .490 batting average. She has racked up 15 runs on 24 hits with 10 RBI, three doubles, two triples, and a home run. In the circle, Angelina Russo leads the pitching staff with a 1.62 ERA, a .95 WHIP, 21 strikeouts, and four wins. 

Maryland (15-4 Overall)
The Terps started the season on fire, winning 10 of their first 11 games, including victories over No. 22 Oregon and No. 3 Oklahoma State. A three-game losing streak cooled Maryland's momentum, but the Terps bounced back by winning their next six. In recognition of its stellar play to start the year, Maryland is in the receiving votes section of the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings. At the center of the Terps' offense is junior outfielder Jaeda McFarland, who leads the team in batting average (.417), hits (25), runs (18), and doubles (7). Both Trinity Schlotterbeck and Courtney Wyche pace the Maryland pitching staff with seven wins, while freshman Keira Bucher leads the country with six saves. 

Fairfield (3-5 Overall) 
The Stags opened the season by winning their first three games but have lost five in a row following the early success. Fairfield suffered losses to George Mason, Virginia, and DePaul at its most recent tournament, the first and the last coming by one run. The Stags have seen consistent production from their hitters to start the year, as they have five players batting over .300. Leading the group is freshman Delaney Whieldon with a .389 batting average. On the pitching side, none of their hurlers own a sub-three ERA, while three of them each have one win on the season. 

UP NEXT
Following the Flames Classic, the Pioneers will kick off the home portion of their schedule, beginning on Thursday, March 16, with a doubleheader against Stony Brook at Pioneer Park. The first game of the twin bill is slated to start at 2 p.m.