ADRIAN, Mich. - On the heels of a conference-opening sweep against Albion College, the Bulldog softball team returns to the dirt-diamond this week with a pair of games at Hope College, and Bluffton University.

Adrian's most recent tallies in the win column snapped a three-game losing skid, and helped the 'Dogs to a perfect 2-0 start in conference-play.

Sophomore Ava Ferrarelli is actively riding a 14-game hit-streak that includes five doubles and 12 RBIs. Her upperclassmen teammate Lauren McCulligh is 9-for-18 from the plate with seven RBIs over the black and gold's last six contests. She is also one of four Bulldog baserunners to have scored at least four runs in the last half-dozen games.

In the circle, Natalie Mathers (2-7) ranks seventh in the conference with 37 total strikeouts, while Macee Schang (2-2) is holding opponents to a team-low 0.229 batting average.

The Bulldogs' rotation will be dealing with a Hope College (9-5, 0-0 MIAA) line-up averaging 32.2 percent from the box, the second-highest mark in the MIAA.

Sophomore Grace Henry paces the Flying Dutchmen offense with 18 hits on a 0.391 average. The infielder is the only member of Hope's roster with at least one double, one triple and one home run. She is flanked by fellow infielders Lexi Potapczak (0.400) and Arinn King (0.375). The latter of the two currently leads Hope with four home runs, 17 RBIs and a 0.750 slugging percentage.

As far as pitching goes, the Dutchmen boast one of the top circle-dwellers in the league in Chloe Haskins. In seven appearances this season, the senior (4-0) holds the MIAA's second-best earned-run average at 1.15, and has allowed only 18 hits over 30.1 innings of work.

Hope enters Thursday's match-up with the Bulldogs having won six of its last seven contests, which is a positive turnaround after starting the 2022 season 3-4. One of those season-opening wins came against a member of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC), the same conference that houses Bluffton University.

The Beavers (9-11, 2-0 HCAC) and Adrian were originally scheduled to meet in Ohio on March 22, but inclement weather forced the movement of the doubleheader to this Saturday.

Madison Jones and Lily Tate have muscled 28 hits each for Bluffton, combining for 12 doubles and 32 RBIs.

The team's RBI-leader, Bobbi Adams, also leads the squad with four home runs.

On the rubber, Erin Norman (4-6) and Jones (3-1) have made 15 and 14 appearances, respectively, and have retired 55 total batters on strikes.

Against the 'Dogs, the Beavers have dropped each of their last three meetings, including a thrilling 19-18 decision back in 2018. The last time the two programs met in March of 2021, the locals shutout their opposition, 5-0 and 7-0.

Live stat and video links will be available for both of this week's doubleheaders, and can be found at adrianbulldogs.com.