Complete Game Notes as a PDF

THE WEEK AHEAD
After 10 straight home games, the Southern Connecticut State University softball team (14-8) will play eight games this week on the road. The Owls will travel to Adelphi on Tuesday for a doubleheader, Wednesday for two at Caldwell, and then venture north to UMass-Lowell on Saturday and Merrimack on Sunday in doubleheaders.

CLUTCH AT HOME
The owls had two walk-off victories this past week, against New Haven (3-2, nine innings) and Queens (5-4, 10 innings).

OWLS LEADERS
•Kelsey Cockrill leads the Owls with a 7-2 record and a 1.68 ERA.
•Kaley Marden and Sarah Koerner lead the Owls with a .400 battng average.
•Brittany Bucko leads the team with three home runs.
•Brittany Bucko and Julie Muscarella are tied with 11 RBI.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Owls are currently 12-3 at Pelz Field, after posting a 4-2 record at home this past week.

SIX OWLS EARN WEEKLY HONORS
Second baseman Kate Hoffman and starting pitcher Kelsey Cockrill both earned Northeast-10 Co-Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week honors, respectively, on March 25. Four other Owls - center fielder Brittany Bucko, shortstop Nicole Buch, left fielder Julie Muscarella and catcher Stacy Pouliot- also were named to the weekly honor roll.

GET READY TO HIT THE ROAD
After concluding their 15-game homestand on Friday against Queens the Owls will play six in a row and nine of the next 11 games on the road.

WHITLEY STANDS ALONE
Kristin Whitley moved atop the Southern Connecticut all-time hit list on March 24 with the 220th of her career. She moved past Megan Caporossi in that department.

WELCOME BACK
The Owls were without two major offensive threats as All-Americans Brittany Bucko and Kristin Whitley were sidelined during the opening trip to Florida. The duo made an immediate impact upon their return up north. Whitley had three hits and two RBI in the doubleheader sweep of Assumption. Bucko posted a .333 average during the first weekend at home with two home runs, three runs scored and two RBI.

MUSCARELLA NAMED NORTHEAST-10 CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK; FOUR MEMBERS OF SOFTBALL EARN WEEKLY AWARDS
Left fielder Julie Muscarella was the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week on March 18th, while Nicole Buch, Brittany Bucko and Kelsey Cockrill were also named to the weekly honor roll.
• Muscarella batted .636 (7-for-11) during a 3-1 week for the Owls with two runs scored, seven RBIs and a home run. The junior led the bottom half of the Owls' order with at least two hits in three games during the week.
• Buch batted .500 (5-for-10) with four runs scored and two RBI.
• Cockrill had two wins with a 1.00 ERA. She pitched 14.0 innings while allowing two runs on 11 hits with six walks and eight strikeouts.
• Bucko batted .333 (5-for-15) with three runs scored and two home runs.

MUSCARELLA MUSCLES UP OFFENSIVELY
Junior Julie Muscarella batted .636 (7-for-11) in the Owls' four games during the week of March 12. She also drove in a team-high seven runs, scored two times and had one home run.

A HOT START
Junior transfer Kaley Marden had a stellar start to the 2013 season in Florida. Over the course of the opening eight games, she led the Owls with a .565 batting average, two RBI, three runs scored and four walks.

BUCKO TAKES THE LEAD
With a home run on March 23, Brittany Bucko moved past teammate Alyssa Downs for the SCSU career home run record with 34 longballs. The pair had been tied at 33 apiece.

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES
The Owls went homerless in eight games in Florida, but connected for four homers in four games at Pelz Field in the opening weekend at home. Southern Connecticut hit 29 home runs in 21 home games a year ago.

FIRST WIN
Freshman pitcher Jessica Van Alphen got her first collegiate win against Dominican on March 7.

THREE EARN WEEKLY NE-10 HONORS
Kaley Marden, Kate Hoffman and Kelsey Cockrill were all selected to the Northeast-10 weekly honor roll for their efforts during the Owls' swing in Florida.

ALL-TIME AGAINST ADELPHI
Adelphi leads the all-time series against SCSU, 22-15. The Owls swept Adelphi on the road in two games last season.

ALL-TIME AGAINST UMASS-LOWELL
UMass-Lowell leads the all-time series against SCSU, 32-31. The Owls swept UMass-Lowell in three games last season, including a win in the NCAA Tournament East Regional.

ALL-TIME AGAINST MERRIMACK
Merrimack leads the all-time series against SCSU, 26-18. The Owls swept Merrimack in two games last season at home.

IN THE PRESEASON NFCA POLL
Coming off a record-setting 2012 campaign that culminated in the program's first-ever appearance and victory at the College World Series, Southern Connecticut was selected No. 5 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association 2013 preseason poll. It's the highest ranking in school history for the Owls, who checked in at No. 6 in the final NFCA poll of 2012.

IN THE NFCA POLL
After opening the 2013 season at No. 5 in the NFCA Division II Top 25 poll, SCSU then moved to No. 10 on Feb. 20 and No. 14 on Feb. 27 without playing a game.

THE CAPTAINS
The captains for this season will be seniors Brittany Bucko, Alyssa Downs, Kristin Whitley and Stacy Pouliot.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
The Owls added seven new members to the roster this season - junior transfer Kaley Marden along with six freshmen - Audrey Dolloff, Yesenia Evaristo, Brooke Franco, Jessica Van Alphen, Kelly Wicks and Emily Wirsing.

IN THE NE-10 PRESEASON POLL
Southern Connecticut has been selected to win the Northeast-10 Conference's Southwest Division, as voted on by the league's coaches.

OWLS MAKING HISTORY
It was a record-breaking season on several fronts for the Owls as a team in 2012.
• After two consecutive trips to the regional final, the Owls advanced to the Super Regionals and College World Series for the first time in school history.
• Southern Connecticut also set a new school record with 43 victories in the process.

EVERYONE'S ALL-AMERICANS
Teammates Brittany Bucko and Alyssa Downs were named Daktronics All-Americans during the 2012 season. Bucko also earned All-American honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

THREE EARN ACADEMIC HONORS
Three Owls - Brittany Bucko, Kristin Whitley and Stacy Pouliot - earned Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America for their work in the classroom and on the field last spring. In addition, Bucko (First-Team) and Whitley (Third-Team) were officially named Academic All-Americans.

QUINTET COLLECTS NFCA ALL-REGION HONORS
Five members of the squad earned NFCA All-Region honors, as voted on by the region's coaches. Brittany Bucko and Alyssa Downs were tabbed for the First-Team. Jayme Larson, Jessica Rosa and Kate Hoffman were named to the Second-Team.

FOUR EARN DAKTRONICS ALL-REGION HONORS; BUCKO NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Four members of the squad earned Daktronics All-Region honors, as voted on by the region's Sports Information Directors. Brittany Bucko was selected as the regional Player of the Year and a First-Team honoree. Fellow classmate Alyssa Downs was also tabbed for the First-Team. Jayme Larson and Kate Hoffman were named to the Second-Team.

OWLS RAKE IN YEAR END HONORS
Eight members of the team were named to the Northeast-10 All-Conference teams. Senior Jayme Larson, juniors Brittany Bucko, Stacy Pouliot, Alyssa Downs and Kristin Whitley were all selected to the First-Team. Junior Kate Hoffman was a Second-Team honoree. Senior Jessica Rosa and freshman Kelsey Cockrill were each honored on the Third-Team. Cockrill was also tabbed for the league's All-Rookie Team. Head coach Lisa Barbaro was named Coach of the Year. Bucko was also tabbed as the league's Player of the Year.

ALL-TIME IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The 2012 trip was the sixth NCAA appearance in program history (2002, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). The Owls are 11-13 all-time in NCAA Tournament action, with all 11 victories coming over the past three years.

POULIOT MAKES NE-10 ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Junior catcher Stacy Pouliot was named to the Northeast-10 Conference All-Tournament Team. Pouliot batted .364 (4-for-11) in the Owls' three games in the tournament. She also did not commit an error behind the plate and threw out one of two baserunners attempting to steal.

COACH BARBARO GRABS 250th WIN
With the win over Stonehill in the NE-10 quarterfinals, head coach Lisa Barbaro won her 250th career game at the helm of the Owls.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
The Owls first place finish in the Northeast-10 Conference marks the first time in school history that they have claimed the conference regular season title.

ON DECK
The Owls return home for a doubleheader against Adelphi on April 10 at 3 p.m.