FULTON, Mo.—The (RV) William Woods University softball team will look to extend its eight-game winning streak on Tuesday afternoon, as the Owls host No. 17-ranked Park University at Backer Sports Complex. First-pitch will be thrown at 2 p.m., with game two following at 4 p.m.
Tomorrow's outing against the Pirates is the "Think Pink" game and student life will be selling t-shirts at the game. Students can buy the shirts for $8.00 while fans can buy them for $10.00. Student life will also be selling hot dogs and hamburgers, with all proceeds going to breast cancer.
The "Think Pink" day is always a special one for the softball team," said head coach
Tracy Gastineau. "So many lives are effected by breast cancer and it's an honor and privilege to take part in a day to bring awareness to the disease, its survivors and victims. We hope everyone in attendance will take part in giving back to this incredible cause. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those effected directly or indirectly to this disease," she added.
The Owls (25-14; 11-1 AMC), are riding a season-high eight-game winning streak, which has put the team all alone in first place in the American Midwest Conference. During that span, the Owls have outscored its opponents 77-2, while the pitching staff is holding opposing hitters to just a .113 batting average and 17 hits in 150 at-bats.
Fourteen Owls are batting over .300 the last eight games, and are led by senior
Lindsey LeCuru hitting .529 (9-for-17) with six runs scored, three doubles, one home run, a team-high 10 RBI and a slugging percentage of 1.000.
Junior
Kacey Scharnhorst continues to swing the bat well, hitting .522 (12-for-23) as the Owls No. 3 hitter, while scoring six runs and adding five RBI.
Emily Murphy has been a clutch hitter for the Owls during the winning streak, batting .520 (13-for-25) with four runs scored, two triples, nine RBI and has an on-base percentage of .520.
The pitching staff, meanwhile continues its dominance on the mound, especially this past week, as
Julie Scheer and
MacKenzie Bowden hold a perfect ERA of 0.00, while
Becca Schemmer has been just as good, with a 0.78 ERA.
Scheer hasn't allowed a run in 10.0 innings of work, including throwing a perfect game against St. Louis College of Pharmacy back on Mar. 31
st. Bowden is 3-0 in four appearances and against Freed-Hardeman on Apr. 5
th, extended her scoreless streak to 17.0 innings, after hurling her first collegiate perfect game. The Hartsburg, Mo., native also picked up a save in game two against the Lady Lions and has totaled 30 strikeouts in four appearances.
Schemmer is also 3-0 in her last three starts, including having two shutouts in 18.0 innings of work and has struck out seven batters, while opposing hitters are hitting .154 against the senior.
No. 17-ranked Park University (27-7; 13-3 AMC), enters Tuesday's game against the Owls, on a three-game winning streak and has not allowed a run the last 11.0 innings of play.
The Pirates were on a 12-game winning streak, but ran into a tough patch in its schedule, dropping five in a row against Benedictine (Kan.), Columbia College and one against Freed-Hardeman, before winning its next three.
On the season, the Pirates are batting .344 and are led by Shae Boyd's .434 average in 31 games played, as she leads the team in hits (43), runs (28), home runs (6) and slugging percentage (.737). Brooke Kunkel is second on the team with a .410 average (41-for-100), with 25 runs scored, a team-high 10 doubles and 36 RBI.
Taylor Lipps is the third Pirate batting over .400 (.407 avg) on the season, totaling eight doubles, three triples, one home run and 19 RBI.
Tuesday's game will also be a clash on the mound, as the Pirates have a 1.65 team ERA and are led by Kelli Wenberg's 1.18 ERA in 15 appearances. Wenberg is 9-2 on the year in 65.0 innings pitched and has struck out 45 batters, while Allie Reynolds leads the team with a 12-1 record and is second in ERA having a 1.25 in 83.2 innings pitched.
Kaily Purtle will also be a pitcher to keep an eye on, as the senior is 6-4 with a 2.63 ERA and is second on the squad with 53 strikeouts.
