ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Eastern Kentucky University softball team closes out a 16-game road swing this weekend at the Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
 
The squad will take on Sacred Heart at 1 p.m. and Norfolk State at 3 p.m. on Saturday followed by the University of Albany at 10 a.m. and Youngstown State at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
-EKU (7-5) went 2-2 last weekend, dropping games to Radford and Mercer but picking up wins against Drexel and Akron.
 
-Paige Murphy, the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week, hit .583 during the Buccaneer Challenge with four doubles, a home run, seven runs batted in and three walks. The senior collected a 1.167 slugging percentage.
 
-The Louisville, Kentucky native also leads the Colonels on the season with a .389 batting average.
 
-Newcomers Emily Corbitt and Zoe Mihalicz are following closely with .355 and .343 batting averages, respectively.
 
-Mollie Paulick is leading the pitching staff with a 2.30 earned run average.    
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
                                                                                                                               
-Sacred Heart has met EKU just three times on the diamond, with the last being in 2011. The Colonels lead the overall record, 2-1.

• The Pioneers are 3-2 through one weekend of play after notching wins against Indiana State, Chattanooga and Tennessee Tech.
• Cierra Casale leads SHU with a .444 batting average, while Emily Orosco leads the pitching staff with a 1.24 ERA through 11 innings of work.

 
-Eastern Kentucky has never faced Norfolk State.

• The Spartans have opened the season 8-3, winning eight of the last nine games.
• Shelby DesChamps leads the offensive effort, hitting .581 through 11 games while Kayla Porter leads the defensive effort tossing a 0.00 ERA through six innings.

 
-The Colonels have faced Albany twice and won both meetings with the last being in 2004.

• The Great Danes opened the season last weekend and won 2-of-5 at the EMU Madeira Beach Spring Invitational.
• No 2018 statistics were available.

 
-Youngstown State and EKU have met five times and the Colonels have come out on top each of the five times.

• The Penguins are 4-5 on the season after dropping games against Buffalo and Hampton last weekend.
• Hannah Lucas leads YSU in the batter's box with a .424 average while Maddi Lusk leads the pitchers with a 4.67 ERA.

 
LIVE STATISTICS AND VIDEO
 
Neither live statistics nor video will be available for the tournament.