WORCESTER, Mass. – The Holy Cross softball team will play 10 of their final 12 games at home beginning this weekend when they take on Patriot League opponent Army West Point for a three game set Saturday at 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. and Sunday at noon. The games will stream live on ESPN+.

The contests on Saturday are the team's Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer® games benefitting the Go4TheGoal Foundation.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT HOLY CROSS (14-27, 3-9 PL):

• Holy Cross split a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon falling 2-1 in eight innings in game one before rallying from a 1-0 deficit in the sixth inning in game two for a 5-1 victory. Senior Jessie Nagel went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI while sophomore Jessica Mott was 2-for-4 with a run scored in the victory.
• The Crusaders are one win away from their most in a season since having an 18-31 mark in 2011.
• Over her past four games, senior Bailey Chavez is 4-for-12 (.333) at the plate raising her batting average nine points in the process. Chavez paces the Patriot League in sacrifice bunts (12) and ranks second in all of Division I in sacrifice bunts per game (0.34).
• Senior pitcher Kelly Nelson has 552 career strikeouts, the second-most all-time in program history. Nelson needs 28 to break Genoa Grosch's (1996-1999) mark of 579.

SCOUTING THE BLACK KNIGHTS (17-25, 7-2 PL):

• Army hits the road for the first time since April 10 going 5-2 over their last seven including a twin bill non-conference split with Fordham on Wednesday. The Black Knights lost game one 7-2 before shutting out the Rams 3-0 in the second game. Pitcher Jolie Duong hurled a complete game shutout punching out five batters while going 1-for-3 at the dish with two RBI.
• Kayla Edwards ranks tied for third in the league in doubles (11), fourth in hits (49), fifth in runs scored (25), sixth in batting average (.348).
• Army received 53 points, two shy of projected second place program Lehigh, but recorded the second most first place votes (3) in the preseason poll. Army is currently tied with Colgate (7-2) for third place in the Patriot League standings.

LAST TIME THEY MET:

• Holy Cross is 39-76 against Army all-time in the series which began back in 1984.
• Last year, the teams split the series 2-2. The Crusaders won the second game of a Saturday doubleheader 1-0 as then-junior Kelly Nelson threw her second career no-hitter, striking out eight batters.

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