COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Playing some of its best softball of the season of late, the University of Maryland squad takes on Hofstra in a doubleheader Wednesday starting at 5 p.m. in Robert E. Taylor Stadium.

The Terrapins enter the midweek action riding a five-game win streak, tied for their longest of the season, after sweeping a road series from Virginia last weekend. Those victories enabled the Terps to secure their first Atlantic Coast Conference series sweep since March of 2007. They also catapulted Maryland (19-16, 5-4 ACC) into a tie with Florida State for third place in the conference standings behind North Carolina and Georgia Tech.

Maryland pitchers Sarah Dooley, Kerry Hickey and Kendra Knight combined to limit the Cavaliers to six runs on 10 hits during the three-game series last weekend. Hickey earned a pair of victories on the mound and lowered her team-leading ERA to 2.18, good for eighth in the ACC. Dooley pitched her first shutout of the season last Saturday versus Virginia and now has eight in her career. All three hurlers now rank among the top 10 in the conference in opponents' batting average.

During the current win streak, Maryland has a team batting average of .320 (48-for-150) and has nearly doubled its opponents in runs scored (29 to 15). Senior Breanna Shaw batted .455 (5-for-11) with a home run, a double and four RBIs against Virginia to boost her team-best average to .343, which ranks 10th in the conference. Junior Alex Schultz, sophomore Niki Lau and freshman Vangie Galindo added four hits apiece during the sweep.

Hofstra (16-12, 7-1 Colonial Athletic Association), which advanced to the 2008 NCAA Regionals, has won 11 of its last 12 games. The Pride boasts a team batting average (.274) nearly identical to that of the Terps (.275), and senior pitcher Kayleigh Lotti stands 11-4 with an ERA of 1.52.

Wednesday's contests are free to the public and parking will be available in Lots 4B and 9B starting at 4 p.m.

Last Time Out
Maryland took three games from host Virginia last weekend to secure its first Atlantic Coast Conference series sweep in more than two years. The Terps outscored the Cavaliers by a combined margin of 18-6 and outhit them 30- 10 en route to extending their win streak to five games and pushing their conference record above .500. The conference series sweep represents Maryland's first since its last visit to Virginia two seasons ago, when the Terps took three games from the Cavaliers on March 24-25, 2007.

The Terps enjoyed one of their most complete performances of the season Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader with the Cavaliers, 5-2 and 5-0. Pitchers Sarah Dooley, Kerry Hickey and Kendra Knight combined on a five-hitter during the twin bill, with Hickey earning the victory in the first game and Dooley collecting her team-best ninth win in the second by pitching her first shutout of the season. Knight, a freshman, struck out the side in the seventh inning of game one for the first save of her collegiate career.

Senior Breanna Shaw and junior Nadine Blackie homered and tallied three RBIs apiece to pace an offensive outburst that featured 19 hits during Saturday's pair of games, including at least one by each Terrapin starter. Sophomore Niki Lau and freshman Vangie Galindo both contributed three hits, and Lau and freshman Kathy McLaughlin drove in a pair of runs.

Fueled by a seven-run sixth inning, Maryland overcame a two-run deficit to defeat Virginia, 8-4, Sunday. Trailing 3-1 after five innings, the Terrapins sent 13 batters to the plate during their half of the sixth, collecting seven hits, two walks and a hit-batsman to produce their most runs in a single inning since scoring eight in the third frame against George Washington on April 23, 2008. Junior Lydia Fowler provided the biggest hit of the inning, when her bases-loaded double to left center cleared the bases and gave the Terps a 4-3 lead.

Shaw, Hickey and senior Devon Williams also contributed RBI singles during the seven-run outburst, and Lau's opportunistic base-running after a bunt single resulted in another run. Both Hickey (two singles) and Williams (walk and single) reached base twice during the big inning.

Hickey relived Knight on the mound Sunday and pitched the final 4.2 innings for her second victory in as many days. The right-hander from Huntingtown, Md., allowed just one earned run on three hits with six strikeouts. Junior Alex Schultz knotted the score at 1-1 when she led off the second inning by belting a home run to left field - her first of the season and the sixth of her career.

Scouting the Competition
• Hofstra is vying for its eighth consecutive CAA conference championship. The Pride, who advanced to the 2008 NCAA Regionals, has won 11 of its last 12 games.
• The Pride boasts a team batting average (.274) nearly identical to that of the Terps (.275). Hofstra and Maryland have played five common opponents this season (Fordham, Long Island, NC State, Northwestern and Towson). The Pride stands 3-3 against those five squads, while the Terps have gone 3-4.
• Junior Michele DePasquale leads Hofstra in batting (.420), hits (37), RBIs (18), slugging percentage (.545) and on-base percentage (.475). Senior Casey Fee paces the squad in runs (20) and is tied for the team lead in stolen bases (four).
• Senior Kayleigh Lotti has served as ace of the Pride's pitching staff since her freshman year in 2006. This season she stands 11-4 with an ERA of 1.52 and 139 strikeouts in 105.2 innings. Opponents are batting .161 against Lotti.

Series History
The all-time series between Maryland and Hofstra is knotted at 3-3, though the teams have not met since the first day of the 2004 season. During those six contests, both the Terps and the Pride have scored 22 total runs.

ACC Rankings
The Terps currently stand first in the ACC in saves (five), second in fewest hits allowed (175), tied for second in triples (nine), tied for second in sacrifice bunts (30), third in batters struck out (250), third in opponent's batting average (.203), fourth in fielding percentage (.967), fourth in hits (252), tied for fourth in doubles (31) and tied for fourth in batting (.275). Additionally, several Maryland softball players rank among the best in the ACC in their respective top statistical categories.

Junior Nadine Blackie:
• Ranks tied for seventh in the ACC in triples (two), 11th in on-base percentage (.426), tied for 12th in walks (14), tied for 13th in stolen bases (eight).
Senior Sarah Dooley:
• Ranks tied for first in the ACC in saves (two), seventh in hits allowed (68), tied for eighth in wins (nine), ninth in opponents' batting average (.221), tied for ninth in appearances (21) and tied for 11th in games started (13).
Sophomore Kerry Hickey:
• Ranks first in the ACC in relief appearances (16), first in games finished pitching (15), tied for third in appearances (26), sixth in strikeouts (107), seventh in opponent's batting average (.195), eighth in ERA (2.18), ninth in innings pitched (99.2) and tied for ninth in wins (nine). Offensively, Hickey stands third in at bats (119), tied for eighth in doubles (six) and ninth in hits (38) and 15th in batting (.319).
Freshman Kendra Knight:
• Ranks second in the ACC in fewest hits allowed (37), fifth in opponents' batting average (.188) and 11th in strikeouts (79).
Freshman Kathy McLaughlin:
• Ranks tied for third in the ACC in triples (four).
Senior Breanna Shaw:
• Ranks tied for fifth in the ACC in doubles (seven) and 10th in batting (.343).
Junior Alex Schultz
• Ranks tied for fifth in the ACC hits by pitch (six).
Freshman Michelle Takeda:
• Ranks tied for ninth in the ACC in home runs (six).
Senior Devon Williams:
• Ranks first in the ACC in sacrifice bunts (eight).

Did You Know
Having beaten five consecutive ACC opponents (NC State twice and Virginia three times), the Terps have their longest conference win streak since 1999, when the team claimed eight straight conference victories en route to a team-record 51-win season.

Up Next
Following its doubleheader against Hofstra, Maryland returns to conference play by traveling to Tallahassee, Fla., for a three-game series with No. 21 Florida State. The Terrapins and Seminoles will play Saturday at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.