GAMEDAY: Surging Softball Treks To Virginia For JMU Invitational

Games 27-31: JMU Invitational
Schedule	March 16: vs. Stony Brook \\\ 9:30 a.m. \\\ Live Stats March 16: vs. Ohio \\\ 11:30 a.m. \\\ Live Stats March 17: vs. Ohio \\\ 9:30 a.m. \\\ Live Stats March 17: vs. Stony Brook \\\ 4 p.m. \\\ Live Stats March 18: at (RV) JMU \\\ 11:30 a.m. \\\ Live Stats
Stadium	Veterans Memorial Park
Social Media	@ECUSoftball (Twitter) \\\ Instagram \\\ Facebook \\\ @ECUScoreboard (In-Game Updates) \\\ #ECUndaunted

GREENVILLE, N.C. – Having won four of its last five games, ECU plays its final non-conference tournament this weekend when it travels to Harrisonburg, Va., for the JMU Invitational at Veterans Memorial Park. The Pirates will take on Ohio University, Stony Brook and the host Dukes over three days from March 16-18.

ECU defeated in-state opponent UNCW by a 6-4 margin Tuesday in Greenville, improving to 10-16 overall. The Pirates scored five unearned runs in the bottom of the second and redshirt sophomore infielder Tate McClellan hit her fourth home run of the campaign in the home half of the sixth inning to propel the Purple and Gold past the Seahawks.

As a team, ECU is hitting .223 with 25 doubles, a triple and 14 home runs to go along with 65 drawn walks and 19 stolen bases. Sophomore infielder Kendra Ziemba, who drove in the game's first run Tuesday, leads the team with a .327 batting average and is second on the squad in drawn walks with eight. McClellan sports a team second-best .297 batting average and has accounted for 11 of the Pirates' 40 extra base hits. She also paces the unit with 15 RBI. Additionally, senior infielder Meredith Burroughs leads ECU and the American Athletic Conference with six home runs and has driven in 14.

The Pirates own a 3.20 team earned run average with 107 strikeouts against 79 walks. Freshman RHP Erin Poepping has accrued a 6-6 record, 2.99 ERA, 49 strikeouts and three complete games in 77.1 innings of work.

ECU has played JMU twice this season, matching up twice in Hawai'i March 3 and 8. The Dukes took the first meeting 9-0 in six innings before the Pirates responded with a 4-1 victory to set up this weekend's season series rubber game.

About Ohio
Overall Record: 9-10
Last Game: Delaware 4, Ohio 2 (March 11 at Lynchburg, Va.)
Team Batting Average/ERA: .231/3.14
Best Batting Average: Mikayla Cooper (.364)
Top ERA: Kendall Meeks (2.10 in 16.2 IP)

Scouting Stony Brook
Overall Record: 7-7
Last Game: Stony Brook 4, Florida A&M 3 (March 11 at Boca Raton, Fla.)
Team Batting Average/ERA: .264/4.06
Best Batting Average: Taylor Pechin (3.94)
Top ERA: Taylor Pechin (3.72 in 36.1 IP)

Examining JMU
Overall Record: 17-5
Last Game: JMU 12, Hawai'i 1 (March 10 at Honolulu, Hawai'i)
Team Batting Average/ERA: .270/1.55
Best Batting Average: Morgan Tolle (.387)
Top ERA: Payton Buresch (1.55 in 66.2 IP)

The Series
Against Ohio: 18-9-2
Against JMU: 6-5
Against Stony Brook: 3-0

Up Next: ECU and Duke meet for the initial time on the softball diamond Wednesday, March 21, at the ECU Softball Stadium for a 5 p.m. first pitch. The Blue Devils are in their first season as a program.

GAMEDAY: Surging Softball Treks To Virginia For JMU Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Meredith Burroughs

Tate McClellan

Erin Poepping

Kendra Ziemba

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