Posted: 03/02/2012 | Last updated: March 2, 2012 at 09:40 AM
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After a slow start to its season, Lehigh will look to turn the corner over Spring Break as the Mountain will play ten games over a six-day span at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Florida. The team’s opponents include Indiana State, South Dakota, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (Pa.), Detroit Mercy, Florida A&M, Manhattan, and Yale.
The Mountain Hawks have dropped five of their first six games this season. While their record may not show, the team has been competitive and two of their losses have come in extra innings. Lehigh has had a lead in all six games and its last three losses have been by a combined four runs. The Mountain Hawks’ lone victory was against Toledo at last weekend’s Wolfpack Challenge in Raleigh, N.C. At the completion of the tournament, senior Jen Colquhoun and sophomore Ashley Quigley were named to the All-Tournament team.
Colquhoun has been on a tear early this season, leading the team in batting average (.409), hits (nine), home runs (two), and slugging percentage (.682). She hit safely in five of Lehigh’s first six games this season, including a span during the Mountain Hawks’ first three contests where she hit safely in seven straight at-bats and reached base in eight consecutive plate appearances.
As a team the Mountain Hawks hit just .237 last weekend, but took advantage of the long ball, with five home runs, including a grand slam by senior Tenley Halaquist, in the six games.
Quigley is Lehigh’s only pitcher with a win this season. Her best performance came against Toledo in which she struck out seven batters and pitched a complete game while allowing only three hits. Freshman Emily Bausher owns the lowest ERA on the staff at 3.38, but has pitched to some hard luck with an 0-3 record to show. Bausher also has 20 strikeouts in 18.2 innings of work.
The Mountain Hawks will begin play on Sunday when they’ll play two games against Indiana State (11 a.m.) and South Dakota (1 p.m.), two teams Lehigh has grown quite familiar with in its annual Florida trip. Indiana State comes into the weekend at 1-3 while South Dakota comes in at 1-7. At last year’s Rebel Games, the Mountain Hawks defeated South Dakota, 6-3, but fell to Indiana State, 9-7.
The team’s Monday schedule includes defending Northeast Conference Champion Sacred Heart (9 a.m.) and a rematch with South Dakota (11 a.m.). Sacred Heart has yet to win a game this season and will be looking to avenge last year’s loss to Lehigh.
On Tuesday, the team will play St. Francis (Pa.) (9 a.m.) and Detroit Mercy (1 p.m.). After a day off on Wednesday, Thursday’s schedule includes Florida A&M (11 a.m.) and a rematch with Detroit Mercy (1 p.m.). Lehigh lost to Florida A&M last year at the Rebel Spring Games after defeating the Rattlers in the 2009 NCAA tournament. The team’s tournament play concludes on Friday with a pair of contests against Manhattan (9 a.m.) and Yale (1 p.m.).
Written by Antoine Williams ‘12