Bulldogs pick up NEC play with Saturday DH vs. Wagner

Smithfield, RI – The Bryant University softball team continues Northeast Conference play with a doubleheader matchup at Wagner on Saturday, with games at 12 and 2 p.m.

The doubleheader vs. the Seahawks was originally scheduled for a Friday afternoon start but was moved to Saturday to avoid unplayable weather conditions.

The Bulldogs (9-20, 1-1 Northeast Conference) are coming off a Tuesday afternoon split against UMass Lowell. Bryant won the second game of the doubleheader, 5-1, with freshman Logan Paul (Shaker Heights, Ohio) getting her second win of the season. The freshman was outstanding in just her fifth career start, allowing only a single hit in 5.2 innings to go along with three strikeouts.

Junior Elle Madsen (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) led the Bulldogs at the dish with three hits and an RBI. The power hitter leads the team and the NEC with 27 RBI and seven homeruns on the season. Madsen is also second on the team with 26 hits and is third with a .306 batting average. Her performance on the mound has also been tremendous, having already pitched 95.2 innings this season. The junior's 15 starts, five wins, 45 strikeouts, and 3.37 ERA are all tops among the Bulldogs.

Classmate Liana Ogata (Tustin, Calif.) is quietly putting together a huge season, already matching her hit total from a year ago (29). The second baseman leads the team in that category, to go along with her team leading 25 runs, .333 batting average, and .431 on base percentage. The junior is also a menace on the base paths, leading the Black and Gold with eight stolen bases, good for fourth in the NEC.

Senior outfielder Madeline Velasquez (Los Angeles, Calif.) is putting together a fine season of her own. The outfielder went 2-4 with an RBI, and a run scored in Game 2 vs. the River Hawks. Velasquez is second on the team in runs scored (20), third in hits (25), and third in RBI (14). The outfielder's .953 fielding percentage is also among the best on the team.

The Seahawks (7-12, 0-4 NEC) are coming into the weekend after a two game sweep of Saint Peter's on Wednesday. The Seahawks have dropped their first four league games with doubleheader losses to LIU Brooklyn and Fairleigh Dickinson. Wagner is led offensively by senior Kelsey Parker who has a team leading .392 average with 20 hits, 11 runs scored, and four RBI. On the mound, senior Samantha Bedeker has thrown 54.1 innings on the season, posting a 4.31 ERA with a team-high 36 Ks.

Bryant enters Saturday's action riding an eight-game winning streak against its Staten Island foes with Wagner's last win over the Bulldogs coming in 2010.