NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Belmont University Softball opens the month of April on the road. The Bruins (20-7, 1-3 OVC) travel to take on in-state rival Memphis (26-10) on Wednesday.
The Tigers have won three of their last five outings to stand at 26-10 before this brief break in conference play for both teams. UM is led at the plate by Kyler Trosclair, who is batting .440 with 55 hits, four doubles, eight triples and 29 RBI. Baylee Smith is also batting over .400, coming in at .421 with 40 hits, six doubles, one homerun and 25 RBI.
Inside the circle, Molly Smith has thrown the lion's share of time, logging 143.0 innings to the tune of a 1.47 ERA with 150 strikeouts and a 15-4 record. Mariah Nichols has tossed 83.1 innings with 57 strikeouts for a 2.10 ERA and a 10-5 record.
Memphis leads the all-time series, 10-3. The Bruins won the second meeting one year ago, 5-4 in 11 innings at Rose Park. BU fell to the Tigers earlier last season in a tournament at Memphis, 5-3.
Belmont has six batters hitting over .300, led by senior Lexi Rouse (Macon, Ga.), batting .382 with eight homeruns, 29 hits, eight doubles, a triple and 24 RBI. Classmate Jess Andree (Darien, Ill.) follows, sporting a .353 batting average with 30 hits, three doubles, one triple, six home runs and 19 RBI. Sophomore Bailey Sims (Flowery Branch, Ga.) is right behind them both, batting .319 with 29 hits, four doubles, one triple and nine RBI.
Inside the circle, sophomore Brooklin Lee (Burns, Tenn.) remains the Bruins' ace, tossing 108.2 innings, recording a whopping 132 strikeouts to the tune of a 1.22 ERA and an 11-3 record. Rouse sports a 6-1 record and a 2.05 ERA after tossing 41.0 innings with 16 strikeouts.
Several players have distinguished themselves in national statistical categories, including Lee, who is No. 3 in shutouts and 27th in strikeouts and juniors Hayley Baker (Rockwall, Texas) and Chelsea Thomas (Hot Springs, Ark.), who are both ranked 10th in sacrifice flies.
Wednesday's first pitch is slated for 5 p.m. Live stats will be available and the game can be seen live online.
