CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College softball team will enjoy a lengthy luxury over the next two weeks in the form of an eight-game home streak. As the 2024 season enters its final full month, PC will tangle with Palmetto enemy South Carolina State on Wednesday for a 3:00 PM doubleheader.
Denoting the last non-conference matchups to be held in Clinton, the Blue Hose will take their 9-9 home record into an all-time series where they've been dominant seemingly all the way.
No Division I opponent has been kinder to Presby than the Bulldogs, an in-state foe that has been vanquished by the Scotsmen in all but one of their 12 encounters dating back to 2015.
Once tomorrow's DH is in the can, head coach
David Williams' club will prepare for back-to-back Big South series versus Charleston Southern and USC Upstate, which will put a bow on the team's home schedule for good.
GAMEDAY INFO – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3
Presbyterian (12-23, 3-3 Big South) vs. South Carolina State (4-19, 2-7 MEAC)
WHERE / WHEN: PC Softball Complex | 3:00 PM DH
WATCH (GAME 1): ESPN+
LIVE STATS (GAME 1): Stat Broadcast
WATCH (GAME 2): ESPN+
LIVE STATS (GAME 2): Stat Broadcast
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
- Unable to snare a W in each of their last six, it's been a bumpy ride for South Carolina State this spring in a campaign where they've witnessed just four victories in 23 attempts.
- Both of the Bulldogs' MEAC wins occurred over Norfolk State – a neutral foe that was also bested twice by Presbyterian during the season's opening weekend – although SCSU has since been defeated thrice each by Howard and Morgan State.
- Head coach Tatjana Matthews' team has been held to either one or zero runs in their last four meetings, earning a win only once in 14 contests where the site was neutral or a straight-up road environment.
LAST TIME OUT
- After claiming two out of three in the Big South opener versus Winthrop, PC ventured to Longwood over the weekend and was able to stifle the Lancers long enough for a Game 2 victory, although sandwiched in between two setbacks.
- That second W evolved into a pitching clinic by starting sophomore
Peyton Duncan, picking up her ninth career win with ease after holding Longwood to a single hit after six innings.
- Duncan tallied 20 of the game's 21 outs, selected as the Adidas / Game One PC Student-Athlete of the Week after coming very close to her first shutout of 2024.
- Presby's bats backed up their solid defense, led by
Kendall Owens who poured in two doubles and three RBI (both numbers matching a career-high). None on the roster boast more runs-batted-in than the junior (25), bringing home at least one score in nine of her last 11 efforts.
- With two Big South sets in the rearview and four remaining, the Blue Hose find themselves in the middle of the pack at three league wins, two off the top spot and one away from third place in the latest conference standings.
- Coach Williams' gang ranks second in the division with a .968 fielding percentage, catching stolen-base runners 10 times (also second in the Big South).
