HACKENSACK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson University softball team will host Iona on Wednesday, April 24 in game to support Swing for Life, an organization dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research. First pitch at FDU Softball Field is slated for 3 p.m.
Swing for Life Inc., based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research. Since 2002, Swing for Life has provided the opportunity for teams to gain awareness of and knowledge about breast cancer, and to participate in the community service project to raise funds for breast cancer research. More than 1000 participants ranging from elementary to the college level support the Swing for Life initiative. For more information, visit The Swing for Life Web site at www.swingforlife.org.
The Gaels of Iona are 9-31 on the season with recent losses to Marist, Army, Rutgers, St. John's and Manhattan. The team will play Fordham on Tuesday afternoon before heading to Hackensack. The Gaels are currently hitting .266 as a unit and have been outscored 252-159 through 40 games this season. The team holds a collective ERA of 5.63 and allows opponents to hit .327 at the plate.
Senior Beth Kann leads the Gaels with an average of .302. Kann has seven home runs and 21 RBI on the season. Freshman Sarah Schutz also has seven homers on the year. She is batting .294 and leads the team with 25 RBI.
Defensively, sophomore Carly Argyle leads the pitching staff with an ERA of 4.32 and a record of 7-17. Argyle has struck out 98 batters in 141 innings of work.
The Knights fell below .500 for the first time since early March after dropping two games to Central Connecticut on Sunday. The team is now 18-19 on the year with a 7-9 Northeast Conference record and seven games left to play.
Collectively, the Knights are hitting .255 this season with 24 home runs and 126 runs scored in 37 games. The pitching staff has held opponents to 118 runs and an average of .250, while maintaining an ERA of 2.59.
Freshman Courtney Slye (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley High School) currently leads the Knights offense with a .320 batting average. Slye has a team-leading 18 RBI and six home runs on the season with a .553 slugging percentage. Senior Mikayla Fernadez is hitting .306, also with six homers and 16 RBI. Angelique Nieves (Union City, N.J./High Tech High School) and Madelaine Wilen (Bakerfield, Calif./Ridgeview High School) are approaching .300 with averages of .297 and .294, respectively. Wilen leads the team with 12 doubles on the season.
Rookie Loren Stavrou (Long Beach, Calif./Wilson Classical High School) has led the team in the circle this season with an ERA of 1.73 and a record of 6-4. Stavrou has struck out 54 batters in 76.2 innings.
The Knights and Gaels split a double header in New Rochelle, N.Y. last season. Following the mid week matchup, the Knights will conclude the Northeast Conference schedule with a home double header against Saint Francis University and a road tilt at Wagner this weekend. Saturday's bout with Saint Francis will celebrate seniors Fernandez and Maire Shaughnessy (Culpeper, Va./Highland).
