Bulldogs host rival Brown Tuesday at home

Bulldogs host local rival Brown Tuesday afternoon in Smithfield

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SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Coming off an impressive Northeast Conference doubleheader sweep of Monmouth University on Saturday, the Bryant University softball team returns to action on Tuesday, April 24, when it hosts nearby rival Brown University for a single-game set at the Bryant Softball Complex at Conaty Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

The Bulldogs (15-21) are coming off a 3-2 week during which they secured victories over Providence College last Tuesday before sweeping the Hawks at home on Saturday to move into fourth place in the NEC standings. Losers of four straight heading into Tuesday's matchup, the Bears (8-24) are just 2-13 in away games this season and were most recently swept in a four-game series at Harvard over the weekend.

The Bulldogs will be looking to even up the all-time series, as both programs will be facing off for the sixth time. Brown leads the head-to-head matchup, winning 3-of-5 games played, including both in the 2010 season, but the Bulldogs notched a 2-1 victory at Brown last year in the first game of a planned home-and-home series. The second game scheduled to be played last year – in Smithfield, R.I. – was canceled.

Led by a strong showing by senior Lauren McCart (Voorhees, N.J.), who ripped her first home run of the season en route to driving in a side-high four runs, the Bulldogs earned a pair of important conference victories on Saturday against Monmouth. Junior hurler Brittany Hart (North Andover, Mass.) secured both victories in the circle while posting a 3.36 ERA on the day, allowing just four earned runs in 8 and 1/3 innings of action.

McCart has boasted one of the hotter Bulldogs bats as of late, as she enters Tuesday in the midst of a three-game hitting streak and seven-game reached-base streak. Freshman Madeline Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.) has hit safely in her last five games and leads the squad with a .385 batting average on 35 hits in 91 at-bats. The rookie has plated 16 runs while smashing a team-high 11 doubles. Sophomore Aubrey Mable (Aurora, Colo.) has also hit safely in five straight matches and ranks second with a .365 batting average to compliment her team-leading six homers and 23 RBI.

Batting .250 as a team, the Bears are led junior infielder Stephanie Thompson, who has started in all 32 games and boasts an impressive .484 batting average that ranks second in the country as of April 15. She leads the team with 26 RBI and nine home runs while slugging .874 – a mark that ranks 13^th nationally. Behind her, senior Kate Strobel also boasts a potent swing, batting .424 on the year (30^th nationally) with seven homers and 24 RBI. Her slugging percentage of .726 is good for 31^st in the country, as well.

In the circle, a pair of freshmen has paced the Bears to a 5.07 team ERA. Denise van der Goot has gone 2-9 with a team-best 4.30, while Jessica Cherness has accumulated a team-high six wins (6-10) with a 5.14 ERA. Van der Goot's 61 strikeouts are most on the squad, eight ahead of Cherness' 53 K's on the year.

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