SAINTS GEAR UP FOR 2005 WITH SOUTHERN TRIP

St. Lawrence University’s softball team will open its 2005 season with a set of 11 games at Fort Myers, FL during spring break with an eye on their fifth winning season in the six-year history of the sport at St. Lawrence.

The Saints should be strong on the mound with the return of senior Heather Tuttle, who missed most of last season with an injury plus Ava Pickering, who earned second team all league honors last spring and a trio of first year candidates.

Tuttle was 1-0 on the mound last season with two appearances and hit .588 in six games before missing the rest of the season with a hand injury. She has 17 career wins as a pitcher for the Saints and has a .316 career batting average, .410 over her last two seasons with 35 runs driven in. She could also play the infield or play as designated player. Pickering went 7-10 with a 1.94 earned run average in 111 innings as a freshman and struck out 57. Newcomers who will battle for spots in the rotation include Jess McPherson of Ogdensburg, Jamie Aiken of Camillus and Sara Clark of Adams.

A trio of seniors should hold down the starting outfield spots with Erin Lloyd returning in left, Ashley Porter a three-year starter in center and Shawna Weeks returning after starting last season in right. Weeks led the Saints in runs driven in with 12 last season. Porter hit .280 and shared the team lead in hits with 23 and runs scored with 19 last season. She is a career .285 hitter with 49 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. Newcomer Sheila Rodriguez will also push for playing time.

The infield will be a different look for the Saints in 2005, although they do get Bekah Howrigan back, who missed much of last season with an injury and was hitting .245 with ten runs driven in through the first 18 games. Howrigan will play first base and junior Paige Truax, who was first team all league at third base, is also back after hitting .288 and scoring 19 runs and going eight for eight in steals in her first varsity season last spring. The other infield spots are up for grabs with sophomores Yralee Mendez and Melissa Pittelli and newcomers Kelsey Austin, Nicole Bottego and Emily Lannamann all capable infielders and pitchers Clark, Aiken and McPherson also available for infield duty when not pitching.

Pittelli, Lannamann and first year player Shelly Martin are the three catchers on the Saint roster.

The Saints open a 11-game southern schedule against Elms on March 12 and are scheduled to play their home opener Tuesday March 29 with a doubleheader against Elmira.