The Weekend
Lafayette returns to action with a three-game Patriot League series at Army with a noon doubleheader slated for Saturday and single game set for Sunday. It has been 12 days since Lafayette last played, as the Leopards' game vs. Monmouth on April 3 was rained out.
O'Neill Leading Off
On the season's opening weekend, junior Mary Grace O'Neill hit .400 out of the lead-off spot in five games. The Pleasantville, N.Y. native banged out eight hits with two doubles and a triple, scored six runs and stole five bases in her opening weekend with the Leopards. O'Neill has swung the bat well their entire season, leading the team in hitting with a .341 average. She has started all 28 games and leads the team in hits (31), triples (3) and stolen bases (21).
Theft on the Rise
Mary Grace O'Neill leads the Patriot League circuit with 21 bases (on 24 attempts) this season. Versus Colgate on March 30, she swiped two bases in the first game to become the school's single-season record holder. (O'Neill passed Barb Matase and Linda Falcone, who had 20 stolen bases in 1984 and 1988, respectively)
Last Time Out
Despite a solid pitching performance from rookie Parker Rowden, Lafayette dropped a 4-1 matchup in the series finale with Colgate on March 31. Rowden pitched 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks in her third career start.
About the Leopards
Lafayette returns eight players who started 15 or more games in 2023, including six players who started more than half of the games last season. The Leopards are coached by head coach Karavin Dew and assistant coach Bridget Bailey, each in their second season with the program.
Rookie of the Week
Freshman Regan Dillon was named the Patriot League Softball Rookie of the Week following the Leopards' first weekend of competition. Dillon hit for a .600 average, batting cleanup for four of the five games at the Tarleton State Whataburger Invitational, with nine hits, four doubles and two runs batted in. In her collegiate debut, Dillon went 3-for-4 against Mississippi Valley State, 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored against Buffalo and 2-for-3 with an RBI in the 3-0 win over Tarleton State. The Texas native played first base in four games while getting behind the plate in one. She has started 27 of the team's 28 games in 2024.
The Opponent
Army enters the weekend with an 8-26 overall mark and a 4-5 record in Patriot League action. Bucknell took two of three from the Black Knights in the opening series at the end of March, as all games were decided by one run. Army rebounded by sweeping Holy Cross over three games on the second weekend. The Black Knights dropped an 8-1 final in their last outing to Fordham.
Offensively, senior outfielder Kayla Edwards sets the tone. The two-time All-Patriot League selection is hitting for a .387 average with 13 extra-base hits. Soph. infielder Ashton White has driven in a team-best 24 runs and is hitting for a .333 clip.
In the circle, Amanda Egglin leads the team with a 3.85 ERA, but has just one win in 11 decisions while pitching in 17 games. Breanna Izzo is 3-4 with a 4.58 ERA in 22 appearances (mostly in relief) for Army.
