April 14, 2008
After a 4-0 showing last week, Lafayette earned two of the Patriot League's weekly awards with Kristen Ruckno being named the Patriot League Player of the Week and Kasey Karr earning Patriot League Pitcher of the Week honors. Colgate's Lacy Ver Steeg earned a win over Army in the pitcher's circle and was tabbed the Patriot League Rookie of the Week
Patriot League Softball Release - 4.14.08 
Player of the Week
Kristen Ruckno, Lafayette
Sr., 2B, Warrington, Pa.
Ruckno had a hand in 11 of Lafayette's runs in a 4-0 week for the Leopards. The senior second baseman totaled seven RBI and scored four runs. She had a RBI in each game, including four in a 6-3 victory over FDU and scored one run in each contest. She hit safely in all four games for a .471 batting average. The 2007 All-Patriot League performer gathered four extra-bases hits, including three doubles and one home run. This is Ruckno's second-career Patriot League Player of the Week award.
Pitcher of the Week
Kasey Karr, Lafayette
So., Warren, Ohio
Karr notched a pair of complete-game victories last week, including a 13-inning contest against Holy Cross in League play.
The sophomore pitcher owned a 1.40 ERA, allowing just four earned runs. She matched a career high in strikeouts with 10 versus the Crusaders and ended the week with 18 Ks and just two walks in 20 innings. Karr has been tabbed the Patriot League Pitcher of the Week twice in her career.
Rookie of the Week
Lacy Ver Steeg, Colgate
Fr., P, Elk Grove, Calif.
Ver Steeg pitched her first collegiate shutout in a 9-0 win over Army. The freshman from the Golden State finished with a two-hitter, while striking out three and walking none. She has earned both of Colgate's Patriot League wins this season.
Honorable Mention
Ashley Beans, Bucknell
Jr., OF, Hanover, Pa.
Batted .529 with six RBI and four runs scored...Recorded three doubles, one triple and one homerun.
Alisha Gonzales, Lehigh
Jr., OF, Marlton, N.J.
Drove in eight runs and scored one...Hit .429 over six games with one double and one triple.
Patriot League Notebook
Rainy Weekend
Only one of the three Patriot League series this weekend was completed due to rainouts. Lehigh and Bucknell were able to play all four with the Mountain Hawks taking a 3-1 advantage. Lafayette took two from Holy Cross and the two teams will play again Monday. Army and Colgate split and will play their second doubleheader on Wednesday.
Up To Second
Lehigh junior Lisa Sweeney is now ranked second on the Patriot League's career list for both victories and strikeouts. Sweeney has 62 career wins and needs three more to tie for first. She is up to 594 career strikeouts, 16 away from tying the top mark. Both of the records she is trying to break are held by former Mountain Hawk Emily Ling (2002-05).
Another Second Place
Sweeny's 211 strikeouts so far this season rank second on the Patriot League's single-season chart. Sweeny holds the top mark with 228 from 2006.
Unlikely Home Run Hitters
Two Patriot League players are tied for first in the League in home runs with six a piece and surprisingly both are pitchers. Both Lafayette's Kasey Karr and Lehigh's Lisa Sweeney are the League's home run leaders.
2008 Patriot League Championship
The 2008 Patriot League Softball Championship will take place Thursday-Saturday, May 8-10 at the site of the highest seed. The top four teams in the regular-season standings will advance to the Patriot League tourney. The winner of the championship will represent the Patriot League in the NCAA Tournament as its automatic qualifier. Colgate is the defending Patriot League Champion.
Team Notebooks
Army Army went 2-2 on the week, splitting a doubleheader with Siena and a doubleheader with League foe Colgate. The second doubleheader of the Army-Colgate series was moved to Wednesday due to poor weather conditions on Sunday. Laura Baranek batted .500 for the week both overall and against Colgate. Baranek hit safely in all four games with multiple hits twice. She drove in the go-ahead run in a two-run rallying seventh to give the Black Knights a 4-3 win the series opener against Colgate. Freshman Jessica Garcia went 5-for-7 at the plate last week.
Bucknell Bucknell started off the week with a 2-0 win over Susquehanna and went 1-3 versus Lehigh in Patriot League play. The Bison defeated Lehigh in a regular-season game for the first time since 2001 with seven runs in the eighth inning on Saturday. Bucknell has equaled its win total from 2007 (15) with 10 games to play this year. Junior Ashley Beans batted in six runs and scored four, while adding three doubles, one triple and one home run last week. Freshman Elyse Colmenero has hits in 14 of the last 15 games and posted the first four-hit game of her career last week against Lehigh. With two wins last week, junior Katie McDonald improved to 7-11 this season, for the most victories in her career. Both of her victories last week came in relief.
Colgate Colgate went 1-1 versus Army on Saturday in its only action of the week. The Raiders' second doubleheader with Army was moved to Wednesday due to weather conditions on Sunday. Senior Whitney Scott had her first home run of the season in the first Army game, while sophomore Jessica Sabo had a pinch-hit home run for her first collegiate home run. Juniors Kortney Hannah and Ashley Rowe extended their hitting streaks to seven straight games. Hannah was 3-for-6 in the doubleheader with two RBI and one run scored, while Rowe was 2-for-6. Senior LaPorscha Albert was 3-for-4 including a double with two RBI and two runs scored in the doubleheader and junior Erin Gomez went 2-for-2 in the second game, including a double, with three RBI and two runs scored.
Holy Cross Holy Cross dropped all four of its games last week, being swept in doubleheader action by Harvard and Lafayette. The second doubleheader of the Holy Cross-Lafayette series will be played Monday. Sophomore Kelly O'Neil batted in five runs last week and scored three. O'Neil came up with a two-run homer in game two versus Lafayette.
Lafayette Lafayette posted a 4-0 week with a pair of wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and two victories against Holy Cross in League play. Lafayette and Holy Cross will finish out their series with two games on Monday. Senior Kristen Ruckno owned a team-high .471 batting average with seven RBI and four runs. Ruckno had three doubles in game one versus FDU and a home run in the second contest. Sophomore pitcher Kasey Karr earned two wins last week with a 1.40 ERA. Karr allowed just one earned run in game two versus Holy Cross and pitched all 13 innings of the extended contest.
Lehigh Lehigh won its Patriot League series against Bucknell by posting a 3-1 mark. The Mountain Hawks played Villanova during the week to a tie and a loss. Junior Alisha Gonzales drove in a team-best eight runs and batted .429 for the week. Gonzales had a RBI in five of six games last week. Freshman Carly Potock hit .500, hitting safely in all six games. Potock provided a game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning against Bucknell in game one of the series. She is currently on an eight-game hitting streak with two hits in seven of those eight contests.
