WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross softball team will finally kick of the 2021 season this weekend when it travels to both Rhode Island and Bryant.

The Crusaders will take on URI for a single game on Friday, March 19 and a doubleheader on Saturday, March 20. They will wrap up the weekend with a game at Bryant on Sunday, March 21.

For Friday's game, the Crusaders will partner with the Go4theGoal foundation as they Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer. More info on Go4theGoal can be found here.

Things to Know About the Crusaders (0-0):

• Holy Cross will play its first game in 376 days when it takes the field this Friday at Rhode Island. The Crusaders ended the shortened 2020 season on March 8 against Quinnipiac.
• In that shortened season, then-freshman Bailey Bates led the team with a .355 batting average, .942 OPS, and a .548 slugging percentage. Last season's team leader in on-base percentage is also back in Olivia Eckelman. The sophomore recorded six walks to go with her five hits to lead the team with a .423 OB% as a freshman.
• Erin Bengston's six RBI led the team last year and she was tied with Bates and Jessie Nagel for the team lead in extra-base hits with three each.
• Kelly Nelson returns to the circle where her 42 strikeouts led the team last season, as did her 1.59 WHIP and .277 opponent batting average.

Things to Know About the Rams (0-9):

• Rhode Island has had a tough start to its 2021 campaign, beginning the year with nine-straight losses. The Ram's most recent game, a 10-7 setback versus UConn, saw them go down 9-0 before mounting a comeback that fell a few runs short.
• Ari Castillo leads the team with a .440 average and is tied for the team lead with two home runs. Sami Villarreal has also started the year out hot, batting .346.
• Liz Lynchard has started six of the Rams' nine games in the circle and has posted a team-leading 7.30 ERA. She has struck out 14 batters through 23 innings of work.

Things to Know About the Bulldogs (0-1):

• Bryant's only game so far this year was an 8-0 loss to Boston College. The Bulldogs used two different pitchers with Jocelyn Bodington getting the start and giving up four runs and Alexi Clancy coming on in relief and also giving up four.
• The top returning hitter from last season is Morgan Powell, who hit .250 through 12 games last year.
• Kylie Kenney's 4.44 ERA led the team last year and Sarah McKeveny's 24 strikeouts are the most among returners.

Last Time They Met:

• The Crusaders took a pair of games from URI on April 16, 2019. Holy Cross won the first game 6-1, during which then-senior Alex Held threw a one-hitter, and took the second 3-1. Bengston had a big series going 5-for-8 with three doubles, three runs, and two RBI.
• The last time Holy Cross took on Bryant was May 3, 2018. In that matchup, the Bulldogs scored seven runs over the first four innings to build a lead the Crusaders were unable to come back from. Current senior Alyssa Gutierrez pinch ran in the game and scored a run as the Crusaders fell 7-3.