BAKERSFIELD, Calif.-- The Roadrunner softball team will head to Seattle, Washington from May 8-10 to take on the 2014 WAC Softball Tournament. After finishing the regular season with a 2-1 series loss against Kansas City, Bakersfield will attempt to take down the rest of the WAC for an automatic qualification into the NCAA Tournament.
The 'Runners enter the double-elimination tournament as the fifth seed and will face No. 4 Utah Valley in the opening game. The Wolverines swept CSUB in Bakersfield earlier this season, so the 'Runners will be looking for revenge as they attempt to advance through the winners' portion of the bracket. If Bakersfield wins its first game against UVU, it will play top-seeded New Mexico State, while a loss in the opener will mean an elimination game against the loser of the Seattle U-Kansas City matchup.
Bakersfield will rely on the arms of starting pitchers Kelsie Monroe (Jr., Los Banos, Calif., San Joaquin Delta College) and Lyndsay Klimenko (Fr., Half Moon Bay, Calif., Half Moon Bay HS) throughout the tournament. The duo has accounted for 46 of Bakersfield's 54 starts this year and will look to shut down their opponents in Seattle. Monroe boasts a 3.21 ERA on the season while her freshman counterpart came on strong at the end of the season.
The 'Runners will also need the bats of their senior hitters, Karissa Veiga (Hemet, Calif., Hemet HS) and Amy Ricciardi (Chino Hills, Calif., Ayala HS) to provided run suppor in order to advance in the tournament. Veiga has led the team in batting average and runs scored all season and has the 10th-most triples in the nation in 2014. Ricciardi comes into postseason play tied for first on the team in RBI and doubles. The first baseman is also able to boast being ranked as the 33rd toughest player to strike out in NCAA Division I this year as the California native has struck out only seven times in 172 plate appearances.
Tournament play begins on Thursday, May 8 as the 'Runners take on Utah Valley at Logan Field in Seattle at nine a.m. (Updated game time moved from 11 to 9 due to expected afternoon rain). For game times and dates after the first round, open the linked tournament bracket. The WAC will stream all games of the 2014 WAC Softball Tournament live from Seattle. More information and how to subscribe to any of these video streaming events can be found at www.WACSports.tv.
~www.GoRunners.com~
