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Sacred Heart University

Sacred Heart University Pioneers
Softball Huddle
Josh Gee

Softball Ready for NEC Championship Opener

The No. 3 Pioneers begin the NEC Tournament against No. 2 LIU Thursday

5/8/2024 11:35:00 AM

By: Josh Smith
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The third-seeded Sacred Heart University softball team kicks off the 2024 Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship on Thursday, May 9, with a 3 p.m. bout against second-seeded LIU at Saint Francis' Red Flash Softball Field in Loretto, Pa.

Game Notes | ESPN+ | NEC Front Row | Live Stats

THE MATCHUP
  • The Pioneers and Sharks have met three times this season, with SHU taking the series 2-1. 
  • The Sharks won the first game at their home field in Brooklyn, N.Y., but Sacred Heart battled back to take the second contest of the doubleheader and the Sunday rubber match. 
  • Sam Kowalski led the offense, hitting .500 with a run scored and an RBI. 
  • Victoria Lopinto also saw the ball well, racking up four runs and four RBIs with two homers. 
  • In the circle, both Kowalski and Emily Heath picked up wins.
  • Kowalski tossed 11.2 innings with six strikeouts, while Heath threw 9.0 innings with a perfect 0.00 ERA. 
PIOS IN POSTSEASON
  • Sacred Heart will be making its first NEC Championship appearance since the 2021 season. 
  • The Pioneers have won NEC Tournament twice in team history, in 2009 and 2011. 
  • After claiming the NEC title in 2009, SHU went on to beat Cornell in the NCAA Tournament, which marked the first NCAA Division 1 Tournament win in Sacred Heart athletics history. 
TEAM NOTABLES
  • The Pioneers finished third in the NEC this season with a 16-8 overall record. 
  • SHU won seven of eight NEC series, sweeping both Wagner and Stonehill. 
  • The Pioneers' overall record is 26-27, the most victories by the team since winning 28 games in 2019.  
  • Kowalski heads into the NEC Championship with 14 wins, the most by a SHU pitcher since Emily Orosco won 14 games in 2018. 
  • Heath is not far behind her teammate with 12 victories. 
  • 2018 is also the last season that two Pioneer pitchers tallied double-digit wins, as Kristen McCann had 11. 
  • Entering this season with zero career home runs, senior Victoria LoPinto has exploded this year and is pacing the team with eight four-baggers. 
  • Carly Koltko has also been a key to the SHU offense, leading the team with a career-best .318 batting average and 29 RBIs. 
  • Kowalski and Heath have both been stellar in the circle for the Pioneers. 
  • Kowalski owns a 14-11 overall record with a 2.95 ERA and 150 strikeouts. 
  • Heath is 12-11 with a 2.56 ERA and 89 punchouts. 
SCOUTING #2 LIU
  • The Sharks own a 32-19 overall record and were 17-7 in the NEC to earn the No. 2 seed in the league tournament. 
  • After losing two straight to the Pios near the end of April, LIU has been on a tear, winning eight of their last nine games. 
  • The Sharks suffered series losses to both SHU and Saint Francis, while owning a sweep of Central Connecticut. 
  • Senior outfielder Dallas Andrews paces the LIU offense with a .358 batting average, 31 runs and seven stolen bases.
  • In the circle, Lindsey Cowans owns 17 wins, tied for second in the league. 
  • She has a 2.48 ERA and 128 strikeouts, both ranking fifth in the conference. 
SCOUTING #1 SFU
  • The Red Flash earned hosting responsibilities by going a perfect 24-0 in NEC play. 
  • Saint Francis finished the year 37-12, entering the league tournament winning 24 of their last 25 games, with the only loss coming at Penn State in extra innings. 
  • SFU has excelled on both sides of the ball, leading the league in runs (280) and ERA (1.71).
  • At the head of the pitching staff that ranks fifth in the country in ERA is Grace Vesco, who ranks fifth in D1 in individual ERA (1.17).
  • Vesco is 17-7 on the season and has 178 strikeouts. 
  • Rachel Marsden has also been excellent, with a strong 1.70 ERA, an 18-5 record and 118 punchouts. 
  • On offense, six Red Flash batters are hitting over .300. 
  • Leading the team in batting average is Ashley Orischak at .368. 
  • Olivia Ulam has also been one of the best hitters in the league, tallying a .344 batting average with league highs in RBIs (50) and doubles (18).
SCOUTING #4 CCSU
  • The Blue Devils took the final spot in the NEC Tournament with a 13-11 conference record, going 26-17 overall. 
  • CCSU hit a slight skid of late, falling in five of its last eight games. 
  • Central clinched its spot in the NEC Championship by winning the final two games of its series against Stonehill to end the year. 
  • Paige Stringer leads the way for CCSU's offense, as she has hit a conference-leading 12 home runs. 
  • She has also tallied 36 RBIs, while batting .356.
  • In the circle, Kaylee Whittaker, the 2023 NEC Pitcher of the Year, is 13-9 this season over 140.0 innings. 
  • She maintains a 2.70 ERA with 117 punchouts.
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