Softball to play in Rebel Games, USF Tourn.

Softball heads to Florida for Rebel Games/USF Tournament next week

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SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University softball team will look for its first win of the season when it travels to Florida for a week-long getaway from March 11-18. The Bulldogs will participate in a pair of tournaments during that stretch, including the highly competitive Florida Rebel Games (March 11-13) in Kissimmee, Fla., before rounding out the week in the USF Tournament in Clearwater, Fla.

The Bulldogs opened the season against strong competition but could not come away with a win, as Bryant went 0-5 in the Lobo Classic from Feb. 17-19. After struggling on the first day in New Mexico, Bryant fought valiantly in losses against Big Ten foe Purdue and Central Arkansas. In the tournament finale, the Bulldogs nearly exacted revenge against a Northern Colorado squad that had handed the Bulldogs a 15-2 defeat earlier in the tournament, but the Bulldogs dropped a 10-7 decision to close out the tournament.

After five games, sophomore Aubrey Mable (Aurora, Colo.) stands as the squad's offensive leader with seven hits and a .538 average. The Colorado native also boasts a double and one homer to lead the team with a .846 slugging percentage.

Junior Christina Eringis' (Tewksbury, Mass.) two homers, four RBI and four runs scored are all team highs, while sophomore Kendall Corder (Carmichael, Calif.) ranks leads the squad with two stolen bases.

Four players posted five-hit outings in the tournament, as senior Lindsay Martin (Methuen, Mass.), sophomores Amy Weinberg (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) and Lauren Guy (La Habra, Calif.) and Eringis all recorded base hits on five occasions.—In the circle, junior Jennifer Jacob (Deer Park, N.Y.) led the way with 14.2 innings of work. She threw three complete games and struck out 12, while classmate Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.) started two games (11.0 IP) and garnered four strikeouts and issued just two walks while going the distance in one of those outings.

Bryant will open the Rebel Games against Lafayette College on Sunday (March 11) at 9 a.m. The Leopards are yet to play a contest in 2012 and are coming off a season in which they posted an 8-39 overall record with a 5-15 mark in the Patriot League. Lafayette graduated its top six batters and will look to sophomore Lauren Murphy (.242) as the team's top offensive returner. Melissa Robinson posted a 2.82 ERA in the circle last season and went 6-14 overall.

Later on Sunday, Bryant faces off against Nebraska-Omaha. The Mavericks have already played 10 games in 2012 and enter with a 4-6 overall mark. Lauren Larson paces the offense with a .452 batting average and .485 on-base percentage, while Kat Barrow has limited opponents with a 2.31 ERA in over 30 innings of work. 

On Monday, the Bulldogs return to the field for two more games against Cleveland State and Saint Peter's College. The Vikings (Horizon League) currently stand at 2-11 overall but have participated in tournaments hosted by some of the top teams in the southest, including the Palmetto Classic (South Carolina), the Frost Classic (Tennessee) and the Georgia Bulldog Invitational. The Peacocks have dropped their first seven contests to date and have been outscored by a 59-6 margin so far.

Finally, Bryant will face off against the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in Monday morning's Rebel Games finale at 11 a.m. Green Bay has only seen action in four games so far, as the Phoenix went 1-3 in the UNI Invitational in Ames, Iowa from Feb. 11-12. Green Bay opened the year with a 7-1 win against Nebraska-Omaha, but lost the remaining three games of the tournament.

Aside from Lafayette - which Bryant has faced once (March 11, 2011) and holds one win against - the Bulldogs will be playing their first-ever matches against the other four squads. 

After a two-day hiatus, the Bulldogs return to action for two games against Maryland (4:30 p.m.) and Northern Illinois (6:45 p.m.) on Friday, March 16, to open up the USF Tournament in Clearwater, Fla. The Terps (11-6) went 1-4 at the Alabama Invite last weekend against some of the top teams in the country. The Huskies, meanwhile, have been led by a pair of batters with plus-.400 averages, including Stephanie Tofft's impressive .488 clip through 12 games this season.

The next morning, the Bulldogs get things going against the Canisius Griffins (2-6) before facing Florida A&M in the nightcap. Jenn Lindsey leads the Rattlers with a .429 average, while Tera Gainer has batted .419 and plated a team-high eight runs through 12 matches. On Sunday morning, the Bulldogs close the book on their stay in the Sunshine State with a 9 a.m. showdown against Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers (13-4) may represent the toughest test that the Bulldogs will face all week, as Coastal has outscored its opponents by 39 runs so far. 

For continuing coverage of Bryant University softball, check back online at www.bryantbulldogs.com; also follow the Bulldogs on Twitter @BryantAthletics.