The Sacred Heart University softball team will begin its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship campaign with a game against No. 5 seed Quinnipiac on May 5. The fourth-seeded Pioneers will play at the top-seeded Marist campus, marking their second consecutive appearance in the tournament.
This matchup is notable as it comes directly after the two teams faced each other in a three-game series to close out the regular season. Sacred Heart won that series, securing victories in games two and three to surpass Quinnipiac in the final conference standings. The Pioneers finished their regular season with a record of 22-29 and achieved their best league finish by earning the No. 4 seed.
During their recent series, Quinnipiac opened with a decisive win, but Sacred Heart responded strongly, including a comeback victory where they scored four runs in the seventh inning for a 9-6 win. This result evened the all-time series between the programs at 32 wins each over 64 games.
Sacred Heart’s performance this season has been driven by strong pitching and standout individual efforts. Sam Kowalski was named First Team pitcher after finishing second in league ERA and third in strikeouts while also maintaining an impressive batting average and home run tally. Elle Leckrone led her team with a .324 average and earned her second All-MAAC Second Team selection. Other contributors include Charlene Davis, who posted career highs both offensively and defensively, Cierra Bender’s productive junior year, and solid pitching from Emily Heath and Emily Campion.
The Pioneers have now reached postseason play for three straight years, including appearances both as members of this conference and previously as Northeast Conference champions—winning titles in 2009 and 2011.
Quinnipiac enters as the fifth seed after dropping eight of its last eleven conference games but remains strong offensively with leading hitters Sofia Vega and Kennedy DeMott anchoring their lineup. Wednesday’s game marks not only another chapter in an evenly matched rivalry but also their first postseason meeting since joining MAAC.
