Roanoke softball will be participating in the Ferrum Invitational this weekend with games against Maryville and Peace on the 14^th at 10 am and 2 pm, respectively, followed by two games on the 15^th against a TBA team and John Carroll at 11 am. The team is 9-1 including the last 8 games, recording their best start since the 2007 season.

 In the eight years the Maroons have participated in the Ferrum Invitational, they have posted an overall record of 34-2, and have swept the tournament in the past two years. The team is 4-0 against Maryville and 1-0 against Peace. This will be their first meeting with John Carroll, who is ranked #22 in the country (D3Softball). The best meeting against Maryville was in 2001, when the Maroons won 14-0. In their last meeting, they won 5-4 in 2002. In their only other game against Peace in 2008, the women won 6-3 in the Ferrum Invitational.

SALEM, Va. --- Roanoke softball continued to roll this weekend as it swept Penn St.-Altoona in the home opener at Moyer Complex. The Maroons improve to 9-1 on the season while the Lions dropped to 1-3 on the season.

 

Roanoke, who has won seven-straight, defeated the Lions, 6-1 and 13-0 in doubleheader action. It was the first-ever meeting against PSU-Altoona as they are in the midst of a three-day road trip. The Lions split with Sweet Briar on Saturday and will play at Ferrum on Monday.

 

Jessica Zeman got the scoring underway in game one with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth as it sailed over left centerfield fence to give the Maroons a 2-0 lead. It was the first home run of her career.

 

Kelsey Ruitenberg's two RBI double sparked a four-run fifth inning, scoring Taylor Zahn and Felice Lowery. Clarissa Norwich'ssingle brought in Ruitenberg and she scored thanks to Gabby Moss's single to right center to make it, 6-0.

 

Norwich (2-1) pitched six innings of shutout softball for the second-straight outing, striking out 11 in her second win of the season. Ruitenberg went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and two runs while Moss was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

 

In game two, Roanoke wasted no time, scoring six runs in the first-inning en route to a 13-0 win in five innings. Gretchen Wolfewent the distance in her shutout performance striking out five batters. She allowed only one hit in the Maroons seventh-straight win.

 

Lisa Scruggswent 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI while Kristin McCormickwas 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Ruitenberg finished with a double and three RBI in the win. Sara Caudle and Lowery had a two RBI double apiece.

 

The Maroons scored in every inning, including four more in the fourth inning to end the game early. Ruitenberg was 3-for-5 with three runs, two doubles and five RBI on the afternoon. 

 

The Peace College Pacers are 4-6 in the 2009 season so far. In their last game against Wilkes College, they won 5-4, with Ashley Stansbury recording three earned runs on seven hits. In ten games, the Pacers are 27-37 against their opponents.

The Maryville College Scots are 4-7 overall on the 2009 season, recording a 0-10 loss to DePauw in the MC Invitation on March 8^th. In eleven games, the Scots are being outscored, 49-78 against their opponents this spring.

John Carroll is 9-1 overall in the 2009 season, including their last seven games. In their last game against the College of New Jersey, the Blue Streaks recorded a 2-0 win with pitcher Brittany Danilov recording three strikeouts. In ten games, the Blue Streaks have outscored their opposition 80-15.

The Roanoke College Maroons are 9-1 overall on the season with a 13-0, 6-1 sweep of the Penn State Altoona Lions in a double header this past weekend. In the past 10 games, the Maroons have a record of 55-13 against their opponents, their best 10 game record since the 2006 season.

This is Coach Mitchell's first season as the head coach of the Maroons, and spent two years as an assistant coach to the softball team. He was the head baseball coach at Virginia Western Community College from 1995-99. In his final year at VWCC, he led the team to the Virginia Community College State Championship. In 2002, he was named to the Roanoke Valley Sports Journal all-time men's fast-pitch team, earning a spot as the team's shortstop.

Sophomore pitcher Clarissa Norwichwas named ODAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday and D3Softball Atlantic Region Co-Player of the Week announced Wednesday afternoon. The hurler helped lead the Maroons to a 6-0 record last week, including a 4-0 mark at the Beach Blast Invitational with wins over Salisbury, NC Wesleyan, Baruch and #30 Rowan. She was ODAC Player of the Week on March 2 for her success at the plate.

 

Norwich, a Hegins, PA native, went 2-0 last week, including wins over Rowan and PSU-Altoona. Against Rowan, ranked #30 in last week's NFCA Top-25 poll, she threw a no-hitter in a 3-0 win. Against the Lions, she struck out 11 batters in six shutout innings as the Maroons won, 6-1. At the plate, the Tri-Valley product went .333 (6-for-18) with a double and five RBI for the week.

 

Roanoke (9-1) is ranked #20 in the latest D3Softball Top-25 Poll announced this afternoon. They are one of two ODAC schools in the poll, as Lynchburg is ranked #17. Other opponents on the 2009 schedule ranked in the poll are Ohio Northern (18^th), John Carroll (22^nd) and Rowan (RV).

 

The Maroons have defeated Salisbury and Methodist while falling to York (Pa.), who were recently ranked in the top-25. The Maroons are riding a seven-game win-streak off to their best start since 2007.