Softball Set for Four Games at Towson This Weekend

Saturday, March 5

Towson, Md.

10:00 AM

Columbia University

Providence

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin

Softball Set for Four Games at Towson This Weekend

3/4/2022 2:12:00 PM | Softball

Parking Information Live Stats vs. Providence (Saturday)Live Stats vs. Towson Live Stats vs. Providence (Sunday)Live Stats vs. Coppin State

Lions will take on Providence, Coppin State and host Towson Saturday and Sunday

NEW YORK — The Columbia softball team travels to the state of Maryland this weekend for the TU DeMarini Invite, hosted by Towson. The Lions are scheduled for four games, playing two against Providence, one against Coppin State and one against the host Tigers.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Saturday:
Columbia vs. Providence | 10 a.m. ET
Columbia vs. Towson | 3 p.m. ET

Sunday:
Columbia vs. Providence | 10 a.m. ET
Columbia vs. Coppin State | 12:30 p.m. ET

GAME COVERAGE:
Fans can keep up with all four games by following the live stats courtesy of StatBroadcast. Please use the links in this article or visit the Columbia softball schedule page for live stats links to each game.

LAST TIME OUT:
Columbia (1-5) is coming off a 3-1 loss at Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday. Back-to-back, pinch-hit doubles by Maddie De Leon and Lauren Osborne in the fifth inning produced the team's only run. The game was tied, 1-1, heading to the bottom of the fifth, but the Knights scored two runs on three hits to bring the contest to its eventual final.

TRACKING THE DEBUTS
Entering the season, 10 of the 19 players on Columbia's roster had never played in a collegiate softball game. All 10 Lions have since made their collegiate debuts.

Eight Lions made their debut on opening weekend at FAU's Strike Out Cancer Tournament -- Raquel Reyes, Jordan Hill, Maddy Rifenberick, Maddie Souza, Jaden Hill, Cami Neal, Lauren Osborne and Caroline Palys. All eight of them started at least once over the weekend. Reyes, a pitcher, was named to this week's Ivy League Honor Roll, posting a 4.02 ERA in 15 2/3 innings, which included a one-run, two-hit, complete-game performance against Michigan State.

Hunter Travers and Maddie De Leon made their debuts on Wednesday at FDU. Travers pinch ran for Maria Pagane in the third inning. De Leon pinch hit in the fifth and doubled down the left field line in her first collegiate at-bat.

HOT STARTS
Third baseman Bubba Gleaves is off to a hot start this season. She went 5-for-12 at the plate with a double, two runs and three RBI last weekend at FDU. Gleaves, a junior, is now hitting .400 on the season and has a hit in five of her six games. She was named to the Ivy League Weekly Honor Roll on Monday.

Four Lions are hitting north of .300 entering the weekend (min. 10 at-bats). Gleaves leads the group along with first-year Cami Neal (.400). Maria Pagane, a graduate student, is hitting .350, followed by Megan Ryono at .333.

IN THE CIRCLE
Sophomore Raquel Reyes heads the pitching staff with a 4.02 ERA in 15 2/3 innings pitched. Reyes tossed her first complete game against Michigan State, allowing just one run on two hits in the 81-pitch performance. Reyes, Jordan Hill and Kaia McCaul have started two games apiece.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
Providence (5-5) went 1-4 at the Gaucho Classic out in Santa Barbara, California last weekend. The Friars split with Idaho State, fell to UC Santa Barbara and dropped two games against Boise State. They opened their season Feb. 18-20 at the Elon Softball Phoenix Invitational, going 4-1 with two wins over Morgan State, one over UMass Lowell and a split with host Elon.

Jacque Harrington (.440) currently averages the best in batting for the Friars with 11 hits, seven RBIs, and four runs off three home runs and a single. Micaela Abbatine (.308) has started in all 10 games, adding eight hits, six runs (one double, one home run, four singles), four stolen bases, and three RBIs.

Tori Grifone posts a 2.73 ERA in the circle with six appearances, five starts, four complete games, and three wins. Currently, Grifone has struck out 40 batters in 33.1 innings pitched.

Coppin State (0-5) is still in search of its first win after dropping all four games last weekend at a tournament hosted by UMBC. They were outscored 26-8 across the four games, two each against UMBC and Georgetown. Coppin State opened the year with a 10-2 loss to Iowa State on Feb. 21.

Currently, Jaslyn Sanchez (.444) leads the Eagles in batting averages with four hits and a run. Brooke Caballero (.400) follows with seven total bases, four hits, three RBIs, and a home run. Caballero marks a .700 slugging percentage.

Towson (1-11) has been in action for nearly a month already, opening on Feb. 12-13 at the USC Upstate Spartan Classic. The Tigers traveled to Winthrop for a tournament Feb. 18-19 and went on to compete at the UNCG Inviatioal last weekend. The team's one win to this point came over Western Carolina, 2-1, at the Winthrop tournament. They have been outscored 82-19 so far this season.

Freshman Sydni Byers is hitting a team-best .481 with two homers, four RBI and three runs scored. She heads a group of five Tigers who are hitting better than .300 on the season. Senior Nicole Kidwiler also has two home runs.

In the circle, Julia Jackson (1-4) holds a team-best 4.86 ERA in 31 2/3 innings pitched. She has started five times, tossing three complete games and has struck out 24 batters. Melissa Abrahamian (0-5) has also started five times with a 8.51 ERA. Madeline Harris (0-2) has started twice (6.77 ERA).

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For the latest on the Columbia softball program, follow @CULionsSoftball on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/CULionsSoftball. You can view all the latest with the Lions on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com/Softball.