WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross softball team begins Patriot League action this coming weekend when they travel to Lewisburg, Pa. to take on Bucknell for a three game set with a doubleheader slated for Saturday at noon and a single game Sunday at 1:00 p.m. as well. The contest on Sunday will be streamed live through ESPN+.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS (5-16, 0-0 PL):

• Holy Cross hopes to snap a six game slide after losing to Brown 16-2 in five frames during game one and 2-0 in game two Tuesday afternoon. Sophomore Jessica Mott combined to go 3-for-6 in both contests with two doubles and two RBI for the Crusaders.
• Mott had a productive four game series last weekend for Holy Cross. She turned in a .333/.429/.583 triple slash line with a 1.012 OPS. She hit a home run, drove in a run, scored once, and had two walks.
• Senior Kelly Nelson was named the 2022 Patriot League Preseason Pitcher of the Year before the year started. So far in non-conference action, Nelson ranks second in the league in strikeouts (89), third in earned run average (2.75), third in opposing batting average (.248), third in innings pitched (81.1) and fifth in wins (4).
• Nelson needs 41 strikeouts to reach 500 in her collegiate career. She would become only the second Holy Cross hurler to reach 500 punch outs (Genoa Grosch, 579).

SCOUTING THE BISON (3-20, 0-0 PL):

• Bucknell has lost six straight contests including a 5-0 loss their last time out to Chattanooga. Their cleanup hitter, shortstop Juliette Basso was 1-for-3 in the game.
• Like Holy Cross, the Bison had one player selected to the 2022 Softball Preseason All-Patriot League team, senior infielder Nicole Rivait. Rivait has a team-high .329/.382/.486 triple slash line leading the squad in hits (23), doubles (6), and triples (1), while ranking second in RBI (5) and home runs (1).

LAST TIME THEY MET:

• Holy Cross is 37-68 against Bucknell since the series began back in 1991.
• Last season, the Crusaders were 1-3 versus the Bison with their lone win, a 2-0 shutout back on April 3, 2021. Then-junior Kelly Nelson was dominant in the circle tossing a complete game shutout with 14 strikeouts while then-junior Erin Bengston was 1-for-3 with a two RBI double.
• The last time Holy Cross played at Bucknell was a three game series on March 31, 2018, and April 1, 2018.

FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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