Dartmouth Starts Ten-Game Road Swing in Houston

2018 Houston Round Robin
Saturday, March 17 vs. Eastern Kentucky at 1 p.m.
Saturday, March 17 at Houston at 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 18 vs. Eastern Kentucky at 11 a.m.
Sunday, March 18 at Houston at 4 p.m.

THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES
This weekend the Dartmouth softball team travels to Houston, Texas to escape the remaining days of cold in the northeast and to participate in the 2018 Houston Round Robin tournament. This weekend is the beginning of 10-straight road games for the Big Green.

SCOUTING THE COLONELS
Eastern Kentucky enters the tournament with a 16-7 record, currently fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Colonels most recently fell to Houston Baptist on Wednesday night, 5-4 on the road. Senior Paige Murphy leads the team this season with a .486 batting average with eight doubles, six home runs and one triple. Although EKU lost its Tuesday and Wednesday matchups, freshman Carly Robinson is having a solid week with a .750 batting average including a double, home run and three RBI's.

LAST TIME AGAINST EKU
Dartmouth has faced the Colonels twice in program history, most recently in 2000 when the Big Green faced EKU in Florida in a spring tournament. Eastern Kentucky came out on top 10-2 that year and leads the series 2-0.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Houston is also off to a hot start this year, with a 15-7 record, most recently topping McNeese on the road in extra innings Tuesday night, 5-4. Sophomore Sarah Queen is leading the Cougars with a batting average of .379. Junior Savannah Heebner leads the pitching staff with a 0.75 ERA, where she ranks third in the American Athletic Conference. Houston has faced three ranked teams this season, taking one win against then-No. 15 Ole Miss 6-0.

A NEW OPPONENT
Dartmouth has faced a few Texas-based teams before, but this will be the first time meeting the Cougars and playing on their home turf as well.

LAST TIME OUT
The Big Green have had a decent break from action to prepare for and take their final exams from the winter term and have not played since the March 4 win over Central Connecticut State. Against the Blue Devils, three different Dartmouth players hit home runs to take a decisive 7-2 win to end the Razorback Invitational.

WATCH THE ACTION
Both games against Houston will be streamed online, which requires a subscription fee and there will be live stats for all games through UHCougars.com.

LOOKING AHEAD
Dartmouth continues its time in the Lone Star State next week, taking on Lamar and Houston Baptist on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, before opening Ivy League play next weekend at Penn.