University of Connecticut Athletics
Softball Prepares for Weekend Gamecock Invitational
3/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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COLUMBIA, S.C. - The University of Connecticut softball team heads to its fourth tournament of the season when it travels to Columbia, S.C. to compete in the 2016 Gamecock Invitational on Mar. 4-6. The Huskies open play on Friday against Kennesaw State at 1:30 p.m. and will battle host South Carolina at 4 p.m. on Saturday. On Sunday, the team squares off against Michigan State at 10 a.m. before rounding out the tournament with a 12:30 p.m. tilt. The Huskies final game will be based on the results of the tournament's first six games, which will determine seeding and matchups for the consolation and championship games.
UConn (3-11) last played at the SCU Invitational in Santa Clara, Calif., falling in its five tournament games, three of which were determined by a single run. Freshman OF Kelli Bates finished out the weekend on a .455 batting average with five hits and two RBIs.
The Huskies are 1-0 all-time against Kennesaw St., having won the only meeting between the two teams, 4-2, in the 2015 season opener on Feb. 20 at the Trojan Classic in Troy, Ala. UConn will be searching for its first-ever wins against South Carolina and MSU. The Huskies are 0-5 in the all-time series with the Gamecocks and sport a 0-3 all-time record against the Spartans.
Bates leads the squad through the team's first 14 games of the 2016 season, pacing the Huskies with an impressive .320 batting average, .360 slugging percentage and .346 OBP. Alyssa Gardea, Taylor Townsend and Jacklyn Dubois have tallied 11 hits apiece, with Gardea and Dubois each posting a home run.
As a team, UConn has a .965 fielding percentage, which is the best in the American Athletic Conference. The Huskies have compiled 278 putouts, 131 assists and just 15 errors in 14 games played.
Fans can keep up with live stats (links posted above) or by following @UConnSoftball on Twitter.
