Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Univ. of the Sciences
Dragons Slug Their Way To Sweep of USP
3/12/2007 4:54:13 PM | Softball
Philadelphia, Pa. - Lena Aiken hit her first career homerun and Lisa Williams belted her second round-tripper in as many games as Drexel topped the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, 6-1, in game one of Monday's twinbill. Molly Dacey also hit a solo shot in the sixth inning for the team's fifth homer of the season. In the nightcap, Kristen Beaver hit a three-run shot in the sixth inning to invoke the mercy rule in a 9-0 Drexel (4-3) victory.
Game One
Drexel quickly erased a 1-0 USP lead in its half of the first inning when Lisa Williams led off with a double to center field and Lena Aiken followed it with a blast to right center for her first career home run. The Dragons made it a 3-1 game on a sacrifice fly by Amanda Hastings in the second. Williams' two-run homer, her second of the season, in the fifth inning pushed Drexel's lead to 5-1 and Dacey's solo shot in the sixth capped the scoring for the Dragons in their 6-1 victory.
Breanna Gomez picked up her second consecutive, allowing one run on four hits in seven innings and striking out three. USP scored one run on four hits and left 10 runners on the basepaths. Erin Degnan took the loss for the Devils, giving up six runs on seven hits with a walk and a strikeout.
Game Two
In the nightcap, Kristen Beaver sent the Devils home early as the daylight faded over Drexel Field, blasting a three-run home run to invoke the mercy rule in Drexel's 9-0 victory. Freshman Katrina Gaudier picked up her second win of the season from the circle after throwing five scoreless innings and striking out five batters.
The Dragons touched up USP's Rachel Morgan for a pair run in the first inning on a pair of doubles by Wiliams and Sandi Wambold. Wambold's knock was of the two-RBI variety, plating Williams and Brianne Brown who had walked earlier in the inning.
Drexel broke open the game in the fourth inning by taking advantage of a fielding miscue by second baseman Danielle Czajka to extend the frame and score four runs. Brown and Molly Dacey strung together back-to-back RBI singles sandwiched between RBI ground outs by Aiken and Wambold to make it a 6-0 game.
In the field, Drexel's defense did a good job backing up its rookie pitcher. The Dragons turned an inning-ending double play in the third inning. In the fourth inning catcher Victoria Hanks completed a strike-out-throw-out double play in the fourth when she caught Megan Trimble stealing following a swinging strike out by Michelle Stringer to get Gaudier out of a jam.
The coup de grace came in sixth inning when Beaver rocketed a pitch from reliever Ashley Schappell over the fence in right centerfield with Wambold and Christina Rodriguez on base to invoke the eight-run mercy rule.
Drexel's 9-0 blanking of USP improved its record to 4-3 on the season. Gaudier's victory put her season mark at 2-1. Beaver finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Wambold went 2-for-4 and knocked in three runs as well.
Drexel will play in the Delaware State Tournament this weekend against a field that includes Norfolk State, UMBC, Sacred Heart and Niagara.
