PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania softball team will head to City Avenue on Wednesday for a Big 5 mid-week matchup with Saint Joseph's. The Quakers (18-13, 9-6 Ivy) will play the Hawks (20-16, 9-3 A-10) in preparation for their three-game Ivy League series at Penn Park this weekend against Brown.
Previewing Penn
Penn heads into its midweek game against Saint Joseph's looking to bounce back after losing its series with Princeton over the weekend. The Red and Blue are 4-2 in midweek games this season, including 3-0 against teams in the Big 5.
Over the weekend the Quakers lost two of three games against the Tigers. Penn fell in the series opener before dropping a tough game, 1-0, in nine innings in game two. The Quakers went on to take the series finale, 14-5, behind an eight-run third inning.
Penn has been one of the best teams in the nation at the plate this season. The Red and Blue rank 15th in the country in batting average (.323) and lead the Ivy League in team hits (275).
Freshman
Emma Nedley has burst onto the scene. The first-year player leads the Quakers in runs scored (21), hits (38), and home runs (5). She also tops all Ivy League freshmen in batting average (.380), hits, runs, slugging percentage (.640) and stolen bases (8).
The trio of
Tabitha Dyer,
Jennifer Brann, and
Julia Longo have all split time in the circle this season. Brann leads the pitching staff with 19 appearances and 44 strikeouts, while Dyer has set the pace with a 2.67 ERA and 7-1 record. The freshman, Longo, has been the most effective pitcher for the Red and Blue since the beginning of Ivy League play. She has held opposing batters to a .227 average at the plate which ranks second in the conference.
Penn at Saint Joseph's | Wednesday, 4 p.m.
Series Information
All-time record: Saint Joseph's leads, 33-10 | Last meeting: April 18, 2018 (Saint Joseph's, 10-6)
Penn took a 2-1 lead after the second inning in last season's game, but four runs in the third and three in the fourth pushed the Hawks to victory. Saint Joseph's is 9-3 in the A-10 this season and have won six of their last seven games.
