There are many factors that can’t be ignored when figuring out what has made the Massachusetts softball team’s recent nine-game winning streak possible.

Of course, there is the commanding presence of senior Sara Plourde in the pitching circle, where she has thrown two no-hitters, two one-hitters and a perfect game during the streak. There is also her sudden, yet reliable bat in the lineup, as she has recorded a hit in seven out of her last eight games, including five home runs during the streak.

But what may be the most surprising factor of the streak – especially recently – has been the impressive offensive play of Tiffany Meeks.

The sophomore first baseman has had a career week, driving in nine runs since the Minutewomen’s (25-11, 11-0 Atlantic 10) victory over Boston College last Wednesday. Her efforts were recognized by the A-10 on Monday, which named her its Player of the Week.

On Wednesday against the Eagles, she came up with the eventual game-winning hit as part of a sixth inning rally. With pinch-runner Mikayla Panko on base, Meeks drove a double off the wall in centerfield that scored Panko, which put UMass in front, 2-1, and it never looked back.

Meeks picked up where she left off on Friday, putting together a 3-for-3 effort and driving in four runs to help lead the Minutewomen to a win over Saint Joseph’s in Game 1 of the series. She singled to the right side in the first inning that scored two and put UMass ahead 4-0, before plating another two-run single in the fifth to put the Minutewomen in front for good.

After failing to record a hit on Saturday, Meeks saved her best for last on Sunday. With the game already seemingly out of reach, and UMass ahead 5-0 in the fourth, Meeks came up with the bases loaded. After fouling off a pitch, Meeks found the pitch she wanted, and took a 1-2 offering over the wall in right centerfield for a grand slam as the Minutewomen cruised to the 9-0, five-inning victory.

“When Kylie [Magill] was up, I was looking at the scoreboard and thinking that if we can get four more runs we can end this game early,” said Meeks after the game. “When I came up I took two strikes outside and didn’t want to let another go by and so on the next pitch I covered the plate and drove it out.”

It’s been an up-and-down season for Meeks, who started off slow but has recently heated up.

She went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in her team’s opening weekend victory against Michigan State on Feb. 11, but went cold after that. She went six straight games and 13 plate appearances without a hit following that game. An RBI double versus Maryland on March 2 stopped the bleeding, but it was only temporary as she continued to struggle following that game.

But since April 8, Meeks has been nothing short of outstanding. Since then, she is hitting .348 with two home runs and 12 RBIs and has added one more dimension to an already potent offense that has averaged seven runs per game during the winning streak.

With Plourde continuing to dominate on the mound, Meeks’ presence in the lineup may be the difference in UMass reclaiming the A-10 championship this season.

Rams on deck

The Minutewomen will continue their home stand on Tuesday afternoon when Rhode Island visits for a doubleheader.

The Rams (18-27-1, 2-9-1 A-10) are coming off a difficult stretch in which they haven’t won a game in six tries. Most recently, URI lost to Saint Joseph’s on Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader, 11-1, before coming away with a rare tie in Game 2, 3-3, which was called due to rain.

In the circle, the Rams will likely call on sophomore pitcher Sam Bedore to match up against Plourde in at least one of the games. Bedore enters Tuesday with an 8-8 record and a 4.05 ERA.

On offense, URI is led by seniors Nicole Massoni and Courtney Prendergast, who are batting .394 and .385, respectively. Prendergast leads the team with eight home runs and is second on the team with 28 RBIs, while Massoni is not too far behind with five homers and 23 RBIs.

Last season, UMass swept its only two games against URI – both played in Kingston, R.I. – as the Minutewomen won 6-1 and 11-1 in a doubleheader.

First pitch on Tuesday is scheduled for 2 p.m. with the second game starting directly after the first.

Stephen Hewitt can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @MDC_Hewitt.