Softball Hosts Hoyas on Final Weekend
5/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. -- A postseason berth is at stake for the Seton Hall softball team this weekend as the Pirates are set to host the Georgetown Hoyas in the final series of the regular season; looking to earn their second trip to the BIG EAST Tournament in the last three seasons.
The Hall (22-26 8-9 BIG EAST) has won five of its last seven games, including a series victory over Butler in Indianapolis last weekend that has head coach Paige Smith's squad in sole possession of third-place in the league standings headed into the showdown with the Hoyas.
Picked to finish third in the preseason coaches' poll, Georgetown (14-30, 4-12 BIG EAST) is the lone team that has been eliminated from conference tournament contention but boasts a roster that features 10 players who helped the program advance to the BIG EAST semifinals after sweeping SHU when the two teams met in the nation's capital a season ago.
In the short history of a series that dates back to 2008, the Pirates have claimed three-of-four three-game series between the two sides and own a 10-5 all-time advantage. A sweep this weekend would give The Hall with 11 regular season conference victories and mark the program's highest total since posting a 15-3 league record en route to the second of two consecutive BIG EAST titles in 2005.
As it stands, with two victories to close out the series with the Bulldogs the Pirates have now recorded at least eight BIG EAST wins in all three years under Smith after combining to register six total triumphs over conference opposition in the two years prior to her arrival.
At the center of the success to this point in 2015 has been a power surge fueled by standout seniors Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) and Sara Haefeli (Montclair, N.J.) as well as impact newcomer Alexis Walkden (Cibolo, Texas).
Through 48 contests, the Pirates have already increased their home run total by 25 and scored 17 more runs than last season despite having played three less games. Walkden launched a home run in each game at Butler to move into first on the program's single-season list with 20; surpassing the previous mark of 18 set by all-time home run leader Laura Taylor during her debut campaign in 2002. DeStaso (11) and Haefeli (13) have also reached the double-digit HR plateau and established their respective career-highs in the process.
Dating back to the 2002 season, SHU had not featured as many as two players with 10 or more home runs in the same year.
The trio combined for seven of Seton Hall's 15 hits and drove in all three of the SHU runs in a mid-week marathon against Hofstra, one day after both DeStaso and Walkden landed on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
DeStaso earned the honor for the first time this season after hitting a team-best .462 with three home runs and recording a 2-1 record in the circle over the previous week. The Congers product will head into the final home series of her decorated career on the cusp of climbing a number of all-time lists; needing just three runs batted-in and four strikeouts to take over second and third all-time on the corresponding lists.
Walkden was selected for a team-high fourth time this season following a week in which she slugged a gaudy 1.048 and drove in a total of 11 runs in addition to her record-setting HR total.
In Georgetown, the Pirates draw a final weekend opponent that has yet to win a BIG EAST series and has dropped all six of its conference games on the road. Senior Megan Hyson has shone brightly for the Hoyas however, ranking second on the team with 20 RBIs and recording 10 of the team's 14 wins in the circle.
A Second Team All-BIG EAST and All-Mideast Region honoree in 2014, Hyson stymied The Hall over two starts last season, allowing just four hits and no runs in 13 innings.
Fellow senior Lauren O'Leary picked up the lone victory for GU last weekend, going the distance in an 8-2 win over Providence but came back to surrender four runs in one inning of work in the finale. Hyson was touched up for seven runs in 12 innings against the Friars.
This weekend, the Georgetown staff will have to contend with the aforementioned much-improved Pirate offense that ranks 32nd in the nation with 1.23 home runs per game and has averaged nearly eight hits per contest in BIG EAST play.
The two-day slate calls for a doubleheader on Saturday followed by a single game on Sunday that will serve as Senior Day for DeStaso, Haefeli as well as classmates Sam DeMasi (Lockport, Ill.), Whitney Jones (Skowhegan, Maine), Casey Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.), Jordan Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.) and Kaylyn Sanbower (Etters, Pa.).
Start-time for the action on both days is scheduled for Noon.
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All eight BIG EAST teams are scheduled to wrap up the regular season with three games this weekend as the tournament field inches towards being finalized.
The top-four teams earn the right to play in next weekend's single-elimination championship hosted by DePaul in Rosemont, Ill. Seton Hall is currently third, one game ahead of Butler and Villanova in the loss column, but the Pirates own series victories over both the Bulldogs and the Wildcats.
The 2015 BIG EAST Softball Championship will be held from May 8-9 with all three games scheduled to be shown live nationally on FOX Sports 2.
| 2015 BIG EAST SOFTBALL STANDINGS | ||||||
| BIG EAST | OVERALL | |||||
| W | L | W | L | REMAINING GAMES | ||
 | ST. JOHN'S | 14 | 1 | 24 | 16 | vs. Villanova (3) |
 | DE PAUL | 11 | 3 | 20 | 22 | vs. Butler (3) |
 | SETON HALL | 8 | 9 | 22 | 26 | vs. Georgetown (3) |
 | BUTLER | 8 | 10 | 23 | 25 | @ DePaul (3) |
 | VILLANOVA | 8 | 10 | 23 | 27 | @ St. John's (3) |
 | CREIGHTON | 6 | 10 | 21 | 19 | @ Providence (3) |
 | PROVIDENCE | 6 | 10 | 14 | 22 | vs. Creighton (3) |
 | GEORGETOWN | 4 | 12 | 14 | 30 | @ Seton Hall (3) |
