CLINTON, S.C. – Fresh off of a Saturday sweep at the Winthrop Eagle Classic and now in possession of a three-game winning streak, the Presbyterian College softball team comes back home for their next seven, beginning with a Tuesday one-off against the South Dakota Coyotes at 5:00 PM.
Less than 24 hours after that first-time meeting, the Blue Hose will entertain Furman for a Wednesday doubleheader which starts at 3:00. That sets up PC for the Big South opener against USC Upstate, now less than a week away.
It was a profitable two days in Rock Hill for head coach
David Williams and co., beating Norfolk State twice (including a 2-0 shutout in Game 2) while also defeating Queens in an 8-inning drama by a 5-2 count.
Over the past two and a half seasons, Presbyterian has calculated 37 home victories. They've started this campaign at 8-6 when playing at home, splitting against Western Carolina the last time they had home-field advantage.
GAMEDAY INFO – TUESDAY, MARCH 11
Presbyterian (13-10) vs. South Dakota (14-8)
WHERE / WHEN: Clinton, S.C. | 5:00 PM
LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast
GAMEDAY INFO – WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12
Presbyterian (13-10) vs. Furman (9-18)
WHERE / WHEN: Clinton, S.C. | Doubleheader (3:00 & 5:00)
GAME 1 STATS: Stat Broadcast
GAME 2 STATS: Stat Broadcast
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA
- A member of the Summit League, South Dakota made the long journey to the east coast where they'll play four different South Carolina schools over the span of eight days.
- The Coyotes came to Coastal Carolina for a three-game set over the weekend, entering that series with an impressive nine-game winning streak but were stunningly swept by the Chanticleers without scoring a single run in 20 innings.
- Thus, they'll approach PC with an overall record of 14-8 with every one of those games away from home. Head coach Robert Wagner is in his ninth season with the program, nearly halfway to the Coyotes' first 30-win season since 2019.
- USD had shut out their last four opponents before getting blanked themselves three consecutive times in Conway, holding a team ERA of 3.20 and led by senior infielder Tatum Villotta (.472 average, 34 hits, 13 RBI).
SCOUTING FURMAN
- Separated by less than an hour and playing each other for the 10
th and 11
th times since 2018, Presbyterian preps for a Paladin bunch who has won back-to-back contests only once in the first month of the campaign.
- Furman has entered double digits in the run column three times since February 28 (all wins against SIUE, UAB, and Youngstown State), last seen in a 5-4 thriller over Gardner-Webb on Saturday.
- Third-year head coach Stacey Johnson-Whitfield directed her squad to a record of 24-30 last spring, a one-and-done exit in the Southern Conference Tournament at the hands of Western Carolina.
- The Paladins have secured four wins by a single run this year, with the aforementioned 5-4 triumph against the Runnin' Bulldogs being the latest. Senior outfielder Caitlin Goldwait paces Furman with a .338 BA (23 hits, eight RBI).
LAST TIME OUT
- Whereas the Catamount Classic two weeks ago was all about the Blue Hose offense, the story in Rock Hill was a pitching masterclass by
Peyton Duncan and
Kasey Wolfe, who combined for 18 strikeouts as PC knocked off Norfolk State and Queens.
- Duncan canned 10 in what was her first shutout since 2023, tying a career-high that she set against South Carolina State 12 months ago. Wolfe was just as stout in the W over the Royals, grabbing eight K's and keeping Queens off the board for the final three innings.
- Senior first baseman
Kendall Owens was terrific with the bat in her hands last week, hitting .667 (12-of-18) over a six-game stretch and hitting four doubles with a homer in the last four days.
- Her OPS of 1.216 is the second-highest of anyone in the Big South, while also tying for the highest number of walks drawn in the division (13).
