Charlotte Looks to Smother Saint Louis in Opening Day of Atlantic 10 Tournament
May 6, 2008
Charlotte, N.C. - Marking the first-ever conference tournament held at the D.L. Phillips Softball Complex, the Charlotte 49ers (32-29; 12-8 A-10) host the 2008 Atlantic 10 Softball Tournament Wednesday-Saturday. In their opening games, the third-seeded 49ers, who are 5-5 against the tournament field this season, will square off against longtime foe and sixth-seeded Saint Louis (23-31-1; 11-9) Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Charlotte owns a 12-18 all-time record against Saint Louis, with a doubleheader sweep at the Billikens Sports Center April 12th. Freshman pitcher Katy Hackett threw a two-hitter shutout, her first collegiate shutout, and got the save in relief to take game one 2-0 before the 49eres took the late game 5-4.
Hackett (14-16), who leads the 49ers with a 1.97 ERA in 38 appearances, leads the 49ers in the circle and has recorded 165 strikeouts on the season, ranking her second all-time in the single season record books. With six more, she will move into outright first place. Sophomore Emily Jeffery has collected a 17-11 mark in 31 appearances and 174.0 innings pitched.
On the offensive end, Charlotte in anchored by junior catcher Jaime West and sophomore outfielder Serena Smith, who have contributed 38 and 36 RBI on the season, respectively. Freshman outfielder and All-A-10 second team conference selection Whitney Williams leads the team with a .343 average, with a .446 average in conference action, while junior second baseman Sarah Malene, a first-team all-conference selection, has crossed the plate a team-high and record-breaking 43 times in the 2008 campaign.
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The 2008 tournament is comprised of the only six teams in the league to finish with records over .500. Massachusetts earned the top seed after putting together a 20-0 ledger in league play, while St. Bonaventure earned the No. 2 seed after finishing 11-7. Fordham, Saint Joseph's and Saint Louis, the fourth, fifth and sixth seeds, respectively, each finished with an 11-9 record.
A Charlotte win in the opening round would result in a 4 p.m. game against second-seeded St. Bonaventure on Thursday. If the 49ers falter against the Billikens, they will face either fourth-seeded Fordham or fifth-seeded Saint Joseph's at 6 p.m. Wednesday.
