Softball | April 24, 2015
DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) - Vying for a spot in the Iowa Conference Softball Tournament, the Loras College Softball team will play host to the Coe College Kohawks at Faber-Clark Field on Saturday. Rounding out their regular season schedule, the Duhawks will celebrate the storied careers of seniors
Katie Serpico,
Nora Zerante, and
Holly Klein.
DUHAWKS TOPPLE PIONEERS IN NON-CONFERENCE TILT
After falling to conference foe Wartburg on Tuesday, the Duhawks took out their anger against UW-Platteville on Wednesday. Jumping all over the Pioneers' pitching from the start, Loras took care of business in five innings, 11-2, behind a stellar outing by senior Holly Klein in the circle. In game two, Loras rallied behind the pitching of freshman Emma Corkill and sophomore Erin Hosch with home runs by freshman Bria Lenten and junior Makaila Haase.
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT BERTH ON THE LINE VS. COE
In order for the Duhawks to claim the final spot in the Iowa Conference Tournament set to take place next week, Loras will have to sweep Coe in their regular season finale. Coming off a pair of big wins against UW-Platteville, the Duhawks will look to carry momentum into the match up with the Kohawks and rely on some help from Luther.
HOSCH COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH
In the Duhawks' past three games head coach Ashley Winter has elected to send sophomore Erin Hosch to the circle to help the Duhawks work their way out of jams unscathed. Inheriting bases loaded more than once in her three appearances, Hosch has found a way to keep batters off-balance and force timely ground outs. The Monticello, Iowa product has totaled five strikeouts in 9.1 innings of work while surrendering four runs.
DUHAWKS HAPPY TO HAVE KISTNER'S BAT BACK IN THE LINEUP
Junior Julie Kistner returned the lineup on Tuesday after sitting out with an upper body injury the week prior and made an immediate impact. Carrying a .337 average on the season, Kistner opened the final week of the regular season swinging a hot bat. With seven hits in 14 at bats in Loras' doubleheaders against Wartburg and UW-Platteville, Kistner has scored seven runs, driven in four, and walked twice. Boasting impressive slugging (.643) and on-base (.529) percentages, Kistner is amid one of the best weeks of play in her career.
NOBODY LOVES FREE BASES MORE THAN THE DUHAWKS
As a team, the Duhawks have combined for a league-leading 181 walks this season. Led by a pair of nationally ranked patient batters in sophomore Danielle Stromert (5th) and senior Nora Zerante (29th), Loras sits atop the Iowa Conference standings in free passes and ranks third in on-base percentage (.409).
SENIOR DAY ON THE HORIZON
With the final game of the 2015 schedule set to take place on Saturday when the Duhawks host Coe, Loras will recognize the contributions of a special group of seniors. The senior trio of Kaite Serpico, Nora Zerante, and Holly Klein feature some of the top talent to play under head coach Ashley Winter. Most known for her bat, Serpico boasts a .369 career batting average with 12 home runs and 104 RBI to her credit. A balanced senior class, each player is best known for a diffrent facet of the game. Klein has made her career in the circle, where she has thrown 298.0 innings on her way to 17 wins and 19 complete games. Striking out 176 in 80 appearances, Klein owns a .399 career ERA. Rounding out the talented senior class is Zerante a strong backstop for the Duhawks over the course of her career. The offensive game of Zerante has played a significant role for the Duhawks this season. Posting career-highs in nearly every statistical category, Zerante ranks 35 nationally in walks per game (0.93).
SQUARING OFF AGAINST WEECES
With a postseason berth on the line, the Duhawks will be tasked with facing a familiar force in the circle in Arran Weeces. In last season's match up, Weeces exited after 4.2 innings with five walks, six strikeouts, and two wild pitches.
