FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University softball team hits the road on Wednesday for a midweek doubleheader at Yale. The opening game of the twin bill is slated for 2 p.m. at the Bulldogs' 5K Corral Field at DeWitt Family Stadium in New Haven, Conn. 

SHU VS. YALE GAME INFORMATION 
Game 1: Sacred Heart at Yale – Wednesday, April 19; 2:00 p.m. Video | Live Stats
Game 2: Sacred Heart at Yale – Wednesday, April 19; 4:00 p.m. Video | Live Stats

LAST TIME OUT
The Pioneers earned a sweep of perennial Northeast Conference powerhouse Saint Francis over the weekend, recording 11-6 and 7-4 wins on Friday before clinching the sweep with a 5-0 shutout Saturday afternoon. SHU erased early deficits in games one and two, getting to the staunch SFU pitching staff to the tune of 18 combined runs in the doubleheader. The pitching of Sam Kowalski highlighted game three, as she earned a complete-game shutout by allowing just five hits over 7.0 innings. Amy Petrovich led the way on the Pios' offense, going 8-for-10 at the plate with two runs, five RBI, and a triple. Emily Carroll (.400), Alyssa Gonzalez (.333), and Nicole Henke (.333) all hit over .300 for the Pioneers this weekend, as the team's balanced offensive production led to the important sweep. 

MORE WEEKLY RECOGNITION 
In honor of SHU's impressive sweep of the Red Flash, Petrovich was named the NEC Player of the Week and Kowalski the Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday afternoon. Petrovich, who tallied an outstanding .800/.818/1.000 slash line over the SFU series, earned her first career weekly nod from the conference. On the other hand, Kowalski picked up her second weekly award after going 2-0 with two complete-game wins and a 1.50 ERA on the weekend. The Pioneers have been a staple in the NEC weekly honors this season, as the team has already collected eight awards. In addition to Petrovich and Kowalski, Gonzalez, Carroll, Henke, and Carly Koltko have all been recognized by the NEC in 2023. 

SCOUTING YALE
The Bulldogs head into Wednesday's matchup with a 15-18 overall record and a 7-8 mark in the Ivy League. Most recently, Yale was swept on the road by the Ivy-leading Crimson of Harvard, dropping the first two games by one run before suffering a 5-0 shutout in game three. The strength of the Bulldogs this season has come on offense, as the team leads the Ivy in slugging percentage (.429), is second in home runs (23) and RBI (132), and third in runs scored (140). Leading the attack is the trio of Willa Ferrer, Libby Peoples, and Lauren Perren. Ferrer is batting a team-best .315 with six doubles and four homers. Peoples has tallied a team-high 11 doubles with two homers with a .281 batting average. Finally, Perren paces the Bulldogs with 23 RBI and five home runs. Emma Taylor leads the Yale pitching staff with a 3.91 ERA and a 6-8 record. The first year has struck out 52 batters over 77.0 innings and has won two of her last three starts. 

UP NEXT
Following Wednesday's twin bill, the Pioneers will head to Staten Island, N.Y., for a trio of games against Wagner. SHU is slated to play a single game on Friday, Apr. 21, at 3 p.m. and a doubleheader the next day at 1 p.m.