Leading Off

The Leopards return home for the final time in the 2025 campaign, hosting a three-game set against Patriot League foe Army. Because of weather, Saturday's schedule has been reduced to  a single game at 1 p.m. A doubleheader is planned for Sunday starting at noon when Lafayette will celebrate Senior Day and Alumni Day.

Last Time Out

The Maroon and White's previous matchup, a mid-week meeting with Drexel, was canceled due to health and safety concerns within the Drexel program. Lafayette's last time out was on April 12-13 at Bucknell. The Leopards captured a series opening win over the Bison, using a combination of pitching and hitting to secure a 6-4 victory. Junior Marisa Powell pitched 3.2 innings on one-run ball before freshman Sophia Alvarez-Backus held Bucknell in check to tally her first career save. Freshman Caroline Hall and sophomore Regan Dillon paved the way for Lafayette. Hall notched two hits and two RBIs, while Dillon tallied a 2-for-3 afternoon to go along with an RBI. The Bison swept the Sunday doubleheader, winning a 2-0 final and taking an 8-2 decision.

Senior Send Off

Lafayette Softball will say goodbye to its seniors Mary Grace O'Neill and Kaya-Ciccone Cozart on Sunday, celebrating their career accomplishments. 

O'Neill joined the Leopards in 2024 after spending two years at Fordham. The Pleasantville, N.Y. native immediately made her impact known, hitting .274 and starting all 42 games in center for Lafayette. In that season, O'Neill set a new single-season record for stolen bases after swiping 24 bags. This season, O'Neill leads the conference in batting average (.452).

Ciccone-Cozart became a member of the Maroon and White in 2022, seeing immediate playing time. Over four seasons, Ciccone-Cozart has appeared in 97 contests, starting in 82 of them. The Hemet, Calif. native has represented Lafayette on and off the field, as Ciccone-Cozart is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and Empowering Female Athletes.

Smooth Criminal

Senior Mary Grace O'Neill has been a weapon on the base paths, swiping eight bags on 11 attempts. With one more steal, O'Neill will move into third place on the all-time career steals list.

The Opponent

Sitting at 27-20 for the season, the Army Black Knights enter the weekend with Patriot League tournament implications on the line. Army holds a 10-2 conference record, tied with Boston University. While the Black Knights have already punched their ticket to the Patriot League Tournament, wins this weekend would secure home field advantage. 

Army faced off against Boston University on April 19-20, taking two of three games on the road, taking on Lafayette in the midst of a two-game win streak. The Black Knights' offense currently ranks second in the Patriot League, hitting .305 over 47 games. Army junior Ashton White's enters games hitting .378 with 11 doubles and 31 RBIs, all of which are team-highs. The Black Knight pitching staff relies on junior Breanna Izzo within the circle. Izzo has started 20 games, pitching to the tune of a 3.09 ERA with 95 strikeouts and opponents hitting .256 against her.