Gator softball efforts in 2012 among best in Division III; Beikirch No. 2 in batting average

March 27, 2012

Gator softball efforts in 2012 among best in Division III; Beikirch No. 2 in batting average

Troy, NY---- The Sage Colleges' softball team and a few players are among the national statistical leaders with the release of the second NCAA Division III statistics for softball. The Gators are 14-4 overall, while riding a school-record 11-game win streak. Sage is also 4-0 in the Skyline Conference and tied for first in the league.

As a team, Sage ranks in the Top 100 in eight different categories. The team is averaging 7.61 runs per game and ranks 19th, while also ranking 25th in batting average (.361) and doubles per game (2.06). The Gators have a combined .512 slugging percentage which is 30th, while their 0.61 home runs per game average is 45th. They have a .963 fielding percentage (47th), while also ranking 90th in stolen bases per game (1.56).

Among the individual stats, Sage's rookie infielder Kristen Beikirch (Brockport, NY/Brockport) leads the way. She ranks No. 2 in all of Division III in batting average with her .544 average. The Skyline Conference's Player of the Week for the second week in a row, she led the Gators to a 6-0 week, as she continued her torrid start. She batted .500, with 11 hits in 22 AB, including 3 HR's, 2 doubles, and 8 RBIs. She also scored 9 runs, had 4 steals, a 1.000 slugging pct. and is now batting .544 on the season with a team-high 31 hits. She ranks 17th in the nation in on-base percentage (0.55) as well as 27th in Division III in slugging percentage as well with a .754%. She is also 91st in home runs (3.0).

Rookie Karlie Williams (Schenectady, NY/Mohonasen) ranks 24th nationally in RBIs per game with 1.22. The Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week this week, Wiliams was the other cog in stretching Sage's record winning streak to 11. She hit .500 with 2 doubles, 2 HR's, 10 RBI's, and 8 runs scored. She added a .900 slugging percentage on the week. Williams is an 18-game starter with seven doubles and leads the Gators with her 24 RBIs.

Junior pitcher Kelsey Newberg (New Britain, CT/New Britain) and Rachel Smith (Valatie, NY/Ichabod Crane) are also among the national leaders. Newberg ranks 29th in strikeouts (7.2), 67th in ERA (2.09), 43rd in hits allowed her seven innings (5.61), 61st in shutouts (3.0), and 57th with her 55 strikeouts this year. Both Newberg and Smith rank 42nd in victories as the pair are both 7-2 this season.

Smith, who also splits time in the Gator batting order, is ranked 91st with her three home runs this season, while also ranking 18th with her 3.0 shutouts as a Gator pitcher.

Senior third baseman Megan Welcome (Cohoes, NY/Cohoes) has a .315 average and also has a team-best nine doubles. She ranks 23rd nationally with her 0.44 doubles per game average this season. She now has 28 career doubles and stand in 2nd place all-time at Sage, just 8 off the mark set two seasons ago by Kellie Jones (36). Welcome continues to add to her career resume that also includes 315 AB (6th), 86 hits (10th), 55 RBI's (8th) in 112 games played (7th).

Sage returns to action on March 29 when they travel to Green Mountain College for a 3:30 p.m. non-conference doubleheader. The team will host a pair of Skyline Conference foes with home doubleheaders on Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1 when Mt. St. Mary College and SUNY-Old Westbury visit Robison Field.