game notes (.pdf)

SPRING BREAK!
The Southern Connecticut State University softball team travels to Florida for ten games in the Sunshine State. The first game will be against Palm Beach Atlantic on March 14 at 10 a.m.

PALM BEACH ATLANTIC (March 14 • 10 a.m.)
The Palm Beach Atlantic University Sailfish are currently 15-15 overall as of March 11. Freshman shortstop Caitlin Bouschet leads the Sailfish offensively with a .415 batting average in 19 games. Sophomore Ashley Jones is the ace of the Palm Beach Atlantic pitching staff with a 6-5 record and a 1.21 earned run average.

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN (March 14 • 2:30 p.m. / March 15 • 6 p.m.)
A member of the Sunshine State Conference, the Nova Southeastern Sharks hold a record of 18-10 as of March 7. Senior Ashley Baker leads five Sharks with batting averages of .300 or higher. The outfielder is batting .375 with three home runs and 22 RBI.

BARRY (March 15 • 2 p.m. / March 16 • 1 p.m.)
The Barry University Buccaneers, a member of the Sunshine State Conference, are 21-2 as of March 15. Senior Cristina DeTagle leads the potent Buccaneer offense with a .449 batting average. Junior Amber Jack holds a perfect 12-0 record and a 0.70 earned run average.

MILLERSVILLE (March 16 • 8:30 a.m.)
The Millersville Marauders from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference have opened their season at 6-0 as of March 11. Jillian Golomboski leads all batters with 10 or more at bats with a .462 average (9-for-13).

NYACK (March 18 • 1 p.m. doubleheader)
The Nyack Warriors will open their season on March 13.

MOLLOY (March 19 • 1 p.m. doubleheader)
The Molloy Lions will open their season on March 14.

NO MERCY
The Owls opening their 2008 campaign by defeating Mercy College on March 10 by a score of 10-1. Junior Brittany Gandley powered the offense with two home runs and five RBI, including a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the game via the eight run rule.

BRING OUT YOUR BROOMS
On March 11, the Owls swept Dominican College in a doubleheader to bring their record to 3-0 entering their ten-game swing in Florida. In the first game, four different Owls contributed RBI and junior Amanda Pindar (New Britain, Conn.) scattered 12 hits and allowed three earned runs in a complete game 5-4 victory. The Southern bats came alive in the second game of the twin bill. Sophomore Megan Caporossi went a perfect 4-for-4, and sophomore Melissa Corwin drove in three runs, including a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to bring the score to 11-3 and end the game via the eight run rule.

IN THE 2007 CAMPAIGN
The Owls finished the 2007 season with a record of 32-17. They wrapped up their Northeast-10 Conference schedule in the third spot with a 21-7 record in conference play. In their last game, Jessica Dempsey took a hard-luck 1-0 loss against Dowling in the NCAA Northeast Regional playoffs.

LEADING THE WAY
Senior All-American candidate Jessica Dempsey is poised to once again serve as the ace of the Owls' pitching staff. Dempsey posted a 13-8 record in 26 appearances for the 2007 Owls. She broke her own university record with a 0.94 earned run average, which was the lowest ERA in the Northeast-10 Conference and slotted her at 12th in all of Division II. Dempsey paced the Owls with 120 strikeouts and five saves en route to being selected to the Northeast-10 Conference and NCAA All-Northeast Region First Teams. The Stratford, Conn. native pitched a no-hitter last season, the second of her career, in the first game of a doubleheader against Saint Anselm on April 28.

ARMED FORCES
Joining Dempsey in the starting rotation will be junior Amanda Pindar and sophomores Kerry Iacomini and Megan Caporossi. Pindar posted a 9-3 record and recorded one save in 16 appearances in the 2007 campaign. She pitched four complete games and registered a 2.21 ERA. As freshmen, Iacomini and Caporossi contributed a combined six wins and three save. Joining the staff will be sophomore Nicole Marcelynas, who spent last year at Saint Joseph (Conn.) College.

IN THE NORTHEAST-10 PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
The Owls have been selected to finish third in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. They received three first place votes. Le Moyne, the 2007 regular season champion, was chosen to repeat in 2008, receiving with seven first place votes and 215 total points. Bryant claimed the second slot with 194 points, including four first place votes. Massachusetts-Lowell, the 2007 conference tournament champion, received the final first place vote and claimed the sixth spot with 159 total points.

BACK FOR MORE
Sophomore Megan Caporossi, the 2007 Northeast-10 Conference Freshman of the Year, will look to once again lead the Owls offense. Caporossi, who also selected to the NCAA Northeast Regional Second Team as a designated player, led the team last season with a .342 batting average. She also paced the Owls in runs (35), triples (eight), home runs (five), total bases (92) and slugging percentage (.594).

ANOTHER ALL-CONFERENCE OWL
2007 All-Northeast 10 Conference selection Monica Savarese returns to the Owls' outfield for her junior season. Savarese batted .331 with four home runs, 27 runs batted in and a team-high 11 doubles in 44 games.

EXPERIENCE AROUND THE HORN
Two starting infielders from the 2007 season return to the lineup for Southern Connecticut. Juniors Brittany Gandley and Amanda St. George both started all 49 games for the Owls, batting .237 and .250 respectively. Sophomores Melissa Corwin, a transfer from Bryant University, and Khristle Lee, who played at Northern Oklahoma College last season, will platoon at catcher and as utility infielders for the Owls this season.

THE CAPTAINS
A quartet of players will serve as team captains for the 2008 season. Senior Jessica Dempsey and juniors Brittany Gandley, Kierstin Pry and Monica Savarese will lead the Owls on the field.

THE COACH
Head Coach Lisa Barbaro returns for her fourth year in the dugout. In her Southern Connecticut career to date, Barbaro has posted a record of 81-56-5, including a 49-32-3 mark in Northeast-10 Conference games.

ON DECK
The Owls will come back to Connecticut on March 19 to challenge the University of Bridgeport in a double-dip. The first pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.