Bulldogs cap off California trip at Aggie Invitational II and CSUN Tournament this weekend

Bulldogs cap off California trip at Aggie Invitational II and CSUN Tournament this weekend

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University softball team closes out its California tour with seven games in two tournaments over the course of four days, beginning Thursday against North Dakota at 2 p.m. (ET) in the Aggie Invitational II.

The Bulldogs (3-14) have won one game in the last three tournaments, two of which came in California. Most recently, the Black and Gold split games at UC Riverside, defeating Iona, 3-0, while falling, 5-4, to the hosting Highlanders.

Senior Haylee Haas (Moorpark, Calif.) continues to lead the offense, batting .279, while totaling a team-high 12 hits and nine runs. Sophomore Kaleigh Goulart (Marion, Mass.) totals the Bulldogs' two homers of the season, including her game-winning three-run homer against Iona. Goulart also leads the team with six RBI, while batting .270. The Bulldogs average .191 as a team.

Freshman Gabrielle Ermish (Pottstown, Pa.) has improved to 2-3 on the season, posting a team-best 4.69 ERA and team-high 16 strikeouts in 37 innings.

Aggie Invitational II

The Bulldogs begin action against the Fighting Hawks (10-15), who went 1-4 at the LMU Tournament. North Dakota's only win came over Hartford, 9-0, in five innings. As a team, the Fighting Hawks average .221, headed by Taylor Nadler's 12 runs, five homeruns and 14 RBI. Nadler also posts a team-high .277 batting average and .544 slugging percentage. Kaylin Van Domelen leads the pitching staff with a 1.62 ERA, throwing a team-high 73 strikeouts, while posting two saves and a 4-6 record on the mound.

Thursday afternoon, the Bulldogs take on the hosting Aggies (9-17), who enter the contest on a one-game winning streak after defeating Iowa State, 3-1, in the Aggie Invitational I. Taylor Peters leads the Aggies' offense, batting .402, while the team averages .259. Peters also tops the Aggies with 33 hits and a .402 slugging percentage. Katie Kibby leads the staff with a 2.66 ERA, sitting 6-5 on the season. Kibby has totaled 41 of the team's 75 strikeouts in 79 innings in the circle.

CSUN Tournament

The Bulldogs open the CSUN Tournament on Friday against Northern Colorado at 4:30 p.m. (ET). The Bears (9-16) enter the tournament on a two-game winning streak, including back-to-back victories against UC Santa Barbara. Last week, the Bulldogs split games against Sacred Heart, falling, 4-3, before taking down the Pioneers, 2-1, in the following game. The Bears average .236 as a team, while Erica Dick leads the team, averaging .351. Dick also holds a team-best 27 hits, three triples, a .610 slugging percentage and .420 on base percentage. The seven-player pitching staff is headed by Jayme Reddacliff's 3.58 ERA, as she sits 6-9 on the season. Reddacliff has seen the most time on the mound, throwing 40 strikeouts in 90 innings.

On Friday night, the Bulldogs face off against Quinnipiac for the second time this season. At the LMU Tournament last week, the Bobcats (6-7) took down the Bulldogs, 11-3, in five innings. Most recently, the Bobcats defeated UC Riverside, 3-1. Quinnipiac bats .266, commanded by Miranda Magana's .372 average. Magana totals a team-best 16 hits, including six doubles, one triple, two homeruns and 12 RBI. Abbey Long leads the staff with a 2.76 ERA, posting a 2-3 record in the circle.

On Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs face Northern Colorado for the second time in the tournament, before battling Murray State Saturday night at 7 p.m. (ET). The Racers (20-4) have won 20 games this season, including their last nine straight. Murray State averages .322 as a team, while Breanna Finck tops the unit, batting .424. Finck has totaled a team-high 36 hits, including two doubles, three triples and one homer. Mason Robinson posts a team-best 1.30 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 91 innings of play.

The Bulldogs wrap up the tournament on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (ET) against Weber State. The Wildcats (12-10-1) enter the tournament on a five-game winning streak, sweeping the pool at the Highlander Classic, including Iona, UT Martin and Maryland. Weber State bats .307 as a team, while Molly Horne's .435 average leads the team. Horne's eight doubles, .674 slugging percentage and .500 on base percentage also tops the team. Kirtlyn Bohling's 2.55 ERA is the best of the staff, as she sits 7-8 on the season. Bohling totals 61 of the team's 76 strikeouts in 85 innings.

Fans can follow along with all the action from the Aggie Invitational at ucdavisaggies.com and from the CSUN Tournament at gomatadors.com