Saturday, March 21
Riverdale, NY
2:00 PM
Sacred Heart
at
Manhattan
Photo by: Katelynn Wiesniewski
Softball Set to Hit Road for MAAC Series Against Manhattan
3/20/2026 11:00:00 AM | Softball
The weekend series kicks off on Saturday at 2 p.m. with a doubleheader
Fairfield, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University softball team will continue Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play this weekend as they travel to Manhattan. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 21, with game one scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and game two set for 4:00 p.m. The three-game set will conclude on Sunday, March 22, with first pitch slated for 12:00 p.m.
Game Information
Game 1: Sacred Heart vs. Manhattan – Saturday, March 21, 2:00 p.m.
Game 2: Sacred Heart vs. Manhattan – Saturday, March 21, 4:00 p.m.
Game 3: Sacred Heart vs. Manhattan – Sunday, March 22, 12:00 p.m.
Last Time Out
The Pioneers are coming off a challenging start to the week. They dropped a tightly contested 5–4 matchup against Stony Brook on Tuesday, which went 12 innings and featured multiple lead changes. SHU then hosted Harvard for a doubleheader on Wednesday, falling 4–1 in game one and 11–3 loss in game two. Sam Kowalski led the way for the Pios in both the circle and at the plate. The standout senior hit .500 for the week (6-for-12) with two RBIs, one run and one home run. She also held a 1.91 ERA over 11.0 innings with eight strikeouts. Elle Leckrone was also stellar with a .400 (4-for-10) average, four runs and three doubles.
Powering the Pioneer Offense
Leckrone and Kowalski have been dominant forces in the Pioneers' lineup this season. The duo enters the weekend each batting .370, leading the way in offensive production. Leckrone paces Sacred Heart with 30 hits on the year, including seven doubles and two home runs, while also driving in 11 RBIs. Kowalski has added 20 hits of her own and leads the team in power with four home runs, along with eight RBIs. When both hitters are performing at their best, the Pioneers' offense becomes extremely difficult for opposing pitching staffs to contain.
Scouting Manhattan
Looking Ahead
Following the weekend series against the Jaspers, the Pioneers will return home on Wednesday, March 25, where they are set to host a doubleheader against Yale. Game one is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m., with game two slated for 4:00 p.m.
Game Information
Game 1: Sacred Heart vs. Manhattan – Saturday, March 21, 2:00 p.m.
Game 2: Sacred Heart vs. Manhattan – Saturday, March 21, 4:00 p.m.
Game 3: Sacred Heart vs. Manhattan – Sunday, March 22, 12:00 p.m.
Last Time Out
The Pioneers are coming off a challenging start to the week. They dropped a tightly contested 5–4 matchup against Stony Brook on Tuesday, which went 12 innings and featured multiple lead changes. SHU then hosted Harvard for a doubleheader on Wednesday, falling 4–1 in game one and 11–3 loss in game two. Sam Kowalski led the way for the Pios in both the circle and at the plate. The standout senior hit .500 for the week (6-for-12) with two RBIs, one run and one home run. She also held a 1.91 ERA over 11.0 innings with eight strikeouts. Elle Leckrone was also stellar with a .400 (4-for-10) average, four runs and three doubles.
Powering the Pioneer Offense
Leckrone and Kowalski have been dominant forces in the Pioneers' lineup this season. The duo enters the weekend each batting .370, leading the way in offensive production. Leckrone paces Sacred Heart with 30 hits on the year, including seven doubles and two home runs, while also driving in 11 RBIs. Kowalski has added 20 hits of her own and leads the team in power with four home runs, along with eight RBIs. When both hitters are performing at their best, the Pioneers' offense becomes extremely difficult for opposing pitching staffs to contain.
Scouting Manhattan
- The Jaspers enter this weekend's series with an overall record of 5–16 and a conference record of 1–2. They opened MAAC play this past weekend against Rider. In game one, the offense came alive in a big way, putting up 15 runs in a dominant win. Game two proved to be a much tighter contest, as the Jaspers fell just short in a 5–4 battle. In the series finale, Rider pulled away convincingly, handing the Jaspers an 11–3 loss.
- The Jaspers' offense has leaned heavily on a strong top three trio at the top of the lineup in Brianna Estevez, Natalye DeBus, and Lainey Brown. Estevez, in 80 at-bats, is batting an impressive .400 with a team-high 32 hits, including five extra-base hits. She has recorded three doubles, one triple, and one home run so far this season. In addition to her production at the plate, Estevez has also been active on the basepaths, stealing eight bases in nine attempts.
- Natalye DeBus, through 64 at-bats, is batting an impressive .375 with 24 total hits. She leads the team in home runs with six and has driven in a team-high 17 RBIs. DeBus has emerged as one of the primary power threats in the Jaspers' offense.
- Lainey Brown, through 57 at-bats, is batting .368 with 21 total hits, including seven extra-base hits. She has recorded two doubles, one triple, and ranks second on the team with four home runs. Brown has also driven in 12 RBIs so far this season.
- Natalye DeBus has also been the Jaspers' top arm this season. She leads the team with 43.2 innings pitched and holds a 3–2 record through 10 appearances. DeBus currently owns a 4.65 ERA and has recorded 27 strikeouts.
- This weekend's series will mark the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd all-time meetings between the two programs.
- The Jaspers currently hold a commanding 15–5 overall record against the Pioneers, with Sacred Heart's last win in the series coming in 2022.
- The Pioneers have found more success on the road in this matchup, holding a 3–4 record away from home. When hosting the Jaspers, they have posted just a 1–8 record. Sacred Heart will look to build on its success away from home this coming weekend.
Looking Ahead
Following the weekend series against the Jaspers, the Pioneers will return home on Wednesday, March 25, where they are set to host a doubleheader against Yale. Game one is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m., with game two slated for 4:00 p.m.
Players Mentioned
P/INF
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/ SoftballSaige Harper Paris 2024
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