RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Saint Mary's Softball continues on the road as they head over to Riverside, California to compete in a joint tournament hosted by UC Riverside and California Baptist. Their first games begin on Friday March 11th, with three more games to close out the weekend.

THE DETAILS
GAME #1
Saint Mary's (5-10) at UC Riverside (7-13)
Friday, March 11 at 12:00 p.m.
Amy S. Harrison Softball Field - Riverside, Calif.
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GAME #2
Saint Mary's at UC Riverside (7-13)
Friday, March 11 at 2:30 p.m.
Amy S. Harrison Softball Field - Riverside, Calif.
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GAME #3
Saint Mary's vs. Harvard (4-5)
Saturday, March 12 at 12:30 p.m.
John C. Funk Stadium - Riverside, Calif.
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GAME #4
Saint Mary's vs. Columbia (2-7)
Saturday, March 12 at 3:00 p.m.
John C. Funk Stadium - Riverside, Calif.
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GAME #5
Saint Mary's vs. Harvard (4-5)
Sunday, March 13 at 10:00 a.m.
John C. Funk Stadium - Riverside, Calif.
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LAST TIME OUT
Saint Mary's Softball had a bumpy last weekend when competing in the Silicon Valley Classic. With a 1-4 overall record for the weekend, the Gaels began the week with a pair of losses against Pac-12 schools in Cal and Stanford. Saint Mary's began to turn things around with a doubleheader against Utah State in the opening of the Silicon Valley Classic. In the first game against the Aggies, Saint Mary's offense gave them a 5-0 lead during the fifth inning, but Utah State came back to tie the game in the final two innings before walking it off in the bottom of the eighth. Coming back strong, the Gaels reappeared against Utah State that same day in a back-and-forth competition, ultimately winning the game 8-6 in the bottom of the fifth with two go-ahead runs.

COLORADO CANCELED
Saint Mary's Softball was scheduled to head out to Fort Collins, Colorado for their fourth tournament of the season, the Colorado Classic, last weekend. Due to a change in the weather forecast for the greater Fort Collins area, with snow set to fall, officials at both Colorado State and Northern Colorado canceled last weekend's tournament. 

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
Saint Mary's competes against UC Riverside in a doubleheader to kick off the weekend. In the circle, the senior Highlander, Chrys Hildebrand, has been performing at her best. She has two complete games under her belt, with both of them being shutouts. Hildebrand earned the title of Big West Pitcher of the Week last week with her performance against Southern Utah, where she collected her third 10-strikeout game of the season after breaking UCR's Division I single-game record with 18 against the Thunderbirds.

Following the Highlanders, Saint Mary's will go up against Ivy League's Harvard. At the plate, though four different Harvard athletes have hit at least one homerun this season, just two of their players hold a batting average of above .300. Collectively, Harvard's pitching staff has struggled so far this season while their ERA climbs to 5.53. 

The Gaels then face yet another Ivy League competitor, Columbia. The Lions were selected No.1 in the 2022 preseason poll, granting them the title of Ivy League Preseason Favorite. Although this remains true, Columbia has struggled to find success in the circle, with a team ERA of 5.59, similarly to Harvard. Their offense has also struggled this season, where the Lions have totaled just 28 RBI throughout their lineup.