Despite cold temperatures and snow on the ground across the northeast, conference play begins in softball on Saturday with a pair of three-game series, while a third has been postponed.
UMBC will host Maine and Hartford will visit Stony Brook as the two teams flipped sites because of unplayable conditions in Hartford. Additionally, the Albany-Boston U. series was postponed. The two teams will be play a doubleheader on April 23.
Maine at UMBC -- Live Stats
Game 1: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, 3 p.m.
Game 3: Sunday, 11 .m.
Both teams enter league play aiming for a fresh starts. UMBC (6-19) has dropped four of its last five while Maine (3-25) has dropped three straight. The Retrievers are trying to return to the America East Championship after missing out last year, while the Black Bears are going for their second-straight tournament appearance.
The Retrievers lead America East hitting .284 as a team, led by Taylor Hall, the reigning Co-Rookie of the Year, who's second among league leaders hitting .386 with a league-best 32 RBI. Sophomore infielder Jessica Burk paces Maine by batting a team-best .264 on the season, with 23 hits and 12 runs scored.
Hartford at Stony Brook (Hartford is the home team)
Game 1: Saturday, 1 p.m. -- Live Stats
Game 2: Saturday, 3 p.m. -- Live Stats
Game 3: Sunday, 12 p.m.
Snow in Hartford forced the series to moved to Stony Brook. The two teams enter the set heading seperate ways. Stony Brook (11-13) has won four straight, while Hartford (5-13) has dropped four in a row.
Sophomore Bria Green paces SBU at the plate, hitting .373 with a team-high 15 RBIs. Erica Phelps leads the Hartford with a .326 average, while Kate Wacyk has driven in a team-high 11 runs.
Albany at Boston U. (postponed; rescheduled a doubleheader for April 23)