LOUDONVILLE, NY – Following a mid-week doubleheader split with Army West Point to kick off its home slate, Siena Softball continues an eight-game home stand with a pair of conference series this weekend to begin 2019 MAAC Play. The Saints host Iona at Noon and 2 PM on Saturday before welcoming in Fairfield at Noon and 2 PM on Sunday at the Siena Softball Field.   

Thursday's contests can be viewed by logging on to SienaAllAccess.com. Viewers can catch all the action online for $7.95 via their laptops, desktops, and tablets, as well as on iOS (Apple) devices including those that support Adobe Flash 10.1 or greater (Android devices).

Special features to the Siena All-Access platform include enhanced graphics, up to the second live stats, and pertinent related twitter and ticker updates. Additionally, all games are archived upon their conclusion and can viewed at any time thereafter through the on-demand feature.

On-Deck Circle:

• Siena enters the weekend with a 4-12 overall record, including a 1-1 mark at home in 2019. The Saints fell to Army West Point, 3-1, to begin home play Thursday afternoon, before rebounding for a 1-0 shutout victory in game 2
• Freshman Yamila Evans earned her first career victory in the circle for the Green and Gold in Thursday's win over the Black Knights, pitching four innings of scoreless ball while allowing just a single hit. Evans also led the team to victory on the offensive side, putting an RBI single in play in the bottom of the fourth inning that plated the game's deciding run. Junior Maddie McMahon rounded out the combined shutout by striking out four batter's in the contest's final three innings, earning just her second career save.
• Beginning its 27th season of MAAC play, Siena holds a 174-242 all-time record in league play, including a 91-57 mark under ninth year head coach Bill Lajeunesse, the program's winningest coach both overall and in conference play.
• The Saints are looking to build on a 13-7 MAAC record and a third-place conference finish in 2018. Siena has posted 8-2 home records in league play over each of the last two seasons.
• Iona leads the all-time series with the Saints, 42-21, while Fairfield holds a 38-19 advantage over their conference rivals. The Saints earned season splits with both squads in 2018 on the road and have won the last two games played in Loudonville against the Stags.
• Looking to finish inside the Top-3 for the third straight year, Siena was picked to finish fifth in the 2019 MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll with 67 total points, while senior captain Madysen Cossack was named to the Preseason All-MAAC squad.
• Siena ranked third among MAAC members in team batting average (.254), while Cossack sits in second individually (.404). The Agoura Hills, CA native has reach base safely in each of the first 16 games of the 2019 season and in her last 27 overall dating back to last year.
• The Saints are 3-1 when scoring first the season and have captured all four of their victories when holding their opponent to two runs or less.
• Cossack earned one free pass Thursday, moving into a tie for second place all-time with 70 career walks. The Two-time First Team All-MAAC selection currently sits in the program's top-10 in eight different categories, and most notably needs one more double to tie and two to set the program record.

Scouting Iona & Fairfield:

• Bringing a 4-14 overall record to the Capital Region, the Gaels enter the weekend riding a three-game winning streak, taking a weekend-ending win over Boston University into a mid-week home sweep over Sacred Heart. Picked to finish sixth in the 2019 MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll, Iona leads the MAAC in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.52), while pitcher Samantha Bender is tops in the conference in walks allowed per-seven innings (0.70). Additionally, junior pitcher Marnie Skinner was named to the Preseason All-MAAC squad, while rookie arm Katie Zazzaro is the defending MAAC Player and Pitcher of the Week.

 

• Having dropped its last six contests entering conference play, Fairfield will visit Marist Saturday afternoon to open MAAC competition before heading to Loudonville the following day. The Stags are 12-10 overall for the second-best overall mark in the conference entering league play behind Monmouth. Picked to finish second in the MAAC behind the defending champion Hawks, Fairfield picked up three first-place votes and saw infielder Courtney Hankins be named the 2019 Preseason Player of the Year. The conference leader in batting average (.318) and home runs per-game (0.45), the team ranks 21st nationally in offense, with Hankins and freshman pitcher Katie Kudlacik picking up MAAC weekly honors so far this season.

Up Next:

• Following weekend play, the Saints will close out an eight-game hone stand with a non-conference mid-week doubleheader against Sacred Heart next Tuesday, with action set for 3 PM and 5 PM, respectively.