Gator softball program continues climb in national rankings
Troy, NY---- The Sage Colleges' softball team and a few players are among the national statistical leaders with the release of the third NCAA Division III statistics for softball. The Gators are 16-5 overall and tied for first place in the Skyline Conference with a 5-1 league record.
As a team, Sage ranks in the Top 100 in seven different categories. The team is batting a combined .370, which is sixth best, while also ranking seventh with their 2.48 doubles per game average. Sage has combined for 52 doubles in 21 games thus far this season. The Gators check in 10th in scoring with an 8.0 runs per game average as well as ranking 11th in team slugging percentage (.538). Sage is also ranked 47th in win-loss percentage (.762) and home runs per game (0.62).
Sage's senior outfielder Tiffany Bezio (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) ranks fifth in the nation with her five triples, while also ranking fifth with her 0.24 triples per game average. She is the team's second leading hitter this spring with a .415 average at the plate and 11 extra-base hits.
Rookie infielder Kristen Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) ranks No. 13 in Division III in batting average with her .500 average. She has a team-best 34 hits with four home runs and 16 RBIs. She also ranks 53rd in stolen bases as well as she is a perfect 12-12 on the year. The 21-game starter, also checks in No. 42 in runs scored per game (1.14) and 62nd in slugging percentage (0.721).
Senior third baseman Megan Welcome (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) checks in at the No. 9 spot with 0.52 doubles per game average as she leads the Gators with her 11 double baggers this season. On the 2012 season, she is batting .328 with 16 RBI's and continues her assault on the Sage career record book. She now has 30 career doubles and stand in 2nd place all-time at Sage, just six off the mark set two seasons ago by Kellie Jones (36). Welcome continues to add to her career resume that also includes 325 AB (6th), 90 hits (9th), 57 RBI's (7th) in 115 games played (6th).
Junior pitchers Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain) and Rachel Smith (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane) are also among the national pitching leaders. Newberg ranks 27th in strikeouts per seven innings (7.5), 34th in victories (9.0), and 60th in overall strikeouts (69). Newberg leads the team with her personal-best 69 strikeouts and is four shy of becoming the Gator single-season strikeout leader, while standing just 11 shy of the career strikeout mark (147) as she now has 137 in her time at Sage. She is 9-3 on the year with a 2.71 ERA in 64.2 innings of work.
Smith, who also splits time in the Gator batting order, is ranked 39th with her three shutout wins this spring. She is 89th in victories with her 7-2 record, while boasting a .347 average at the plate and connecting on 10 extra-base hits including seven doubles.
Sage returns to action on April 4 when they travel to Skidmore College for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference doubleheader. The team will host another Capital Region foe on April 5 as Union College visits Sage for a doubleheader at Robison Field. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. on Thursday at Sage.
