Sage softball team continues impressive season
Troy, NY---- The Sage Colleges' softball team and a few players are among the national statistical leaders with the release of the fourth NCAA Division III statistics for softball. The Gators are 17-8 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 six different categories. The team is batting a combined .356, which is 18th best, while also ranking 10th with their 2.2 doubles per game average. Sage has combined for 55 doubles in 25 games thus far this season. The Gators check in 12th in scoring with a 7.52 runs per game average as well as ranking 18th in team slugging percentage (.515). Sage is also ranked 41st in home runs per game with a 0.64 per game average as they have 16 thus far on the season. The Gators are also 76th in win percentage with a .680 average.
Sage's senior outfielder Tiffany Bezio (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) ranks 10th in the nation with her five triples, while also ranking 29th with her 0.2 triples per game average. She is batting .353 with 11 extra-base hits on five doubles, five triples and one home run.
Rookie infielder Kristen Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) ranks No. 43 in Division III in batting average with her .468 average. She has a team-best 37 hits with five home runs and 19 RBIs. She has a .696 slugging percentage and is 12-13 on stolen bases this season, while adding 25 runs scored in 25 starts.
Senior third baseman Megan Welcome (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) checks in at the No. 35 spot with 0.44 doubles per game average as she leads the Gators with her 11 double baggers this season. On the 2012 season, she is batting .307 with 18 RBI's and continues her assault on the Sage career record book. She now has 30 career doubles and stand in second place all-time at Sage, just six off the mark set two seasons ago by Kellie Jones (36).
Junior pitcher Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain) is also among the national pitching leaders. Newberg ranks 37th in strikeouts per seven innings (7.0), and 69th in victories (9.0). Newberg leads the team with her personal-best and school single-season record of 74 strikeouts. She is just six shy of also becoming the career strikeout leader at Sage as she has 142 strikeouts. She is 9-5 on the year with a 3.04 ERA in 73.2 innings of work.
Junior pitcher Rachel Smith (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane), who also splits time in the Gator outfield, is ranked 63rd with her 1.04 runs scored per game average and she leads Sage with 26 runs scored this season. She is batting .393 with five home runs and 23 RBIs at the plate. In the circle, she is 8-3 with a 2.92 ERA in 62.1 innings of work. She ranks 81st and is tied with Beikirch as the pair both have five round trippers on the year. Smith is 60th nationally with her three shutout wins in 13 appearances.
Sage returns to action on April 12 when they host Mt. St. Mary College in a 3:30 p.m. Skyline Conference doubleheader. The team will make a run at another Sage mark on Thursday as they will challenge the team record for most wins in a season that currently is 18.
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