Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Towson
Dragons Blast Towson in Game One, Fall in Nightcap
4/6/2007 6:58:53 PM | Softball
Philadelphia, Pa. - Drexel (11-8, 4-4 CAA) won a high-scoring affair against Towson in game one, 10-7, with help from a 3-for-4, three-RBI performance by Amanda Hastings and Brianne Brown's fourth homer of the year. Hastings hit her first career home run in game two, but it was not enough to keep Drexel on top as Towson (16-18, 3-5 CAA) blasted three home runs to win 7-3. Lisa Williams went 5-for-7 on the day with two RBIs and three stolen bases.
Game One
Brianne Brown hit her team-leading fourth home run of the season to help Drexel recover from a 5-4 deficit in the fourth inning. But the Dragons biggest hit came on a bunt single by Lisa Williams that broke open a four-run fifth inning after a throwing error by Towson's third baseman as the Dragons went on to win game one 10-7.
Amanda Hastings made a diving catch in right field for the second out of the second inning as Gomez retired the side in order. She then came to the plate in the bottom of the inning and keyed a four-run second for the Dragons. After three consecutive singles loaded the bases with no outs, Hastings stroked an outside pitch down the left field line for a two-RBI double. Williams followed by driving a grounder up the middle to bring home Kristen Beaver with the third run of the inning. Lena Aiken hit a nubber back to the pitcher that was mishandled by Jillian Kiley to load the bases. After a pop out by Brown to second base, Molly Dacey knocked another single into center field to give Drexel a 4-0 lead.
Starter Breanna Gomez held the Tigers hitless through three innings before Megan Zwoyer got a lead-off double in the top of the fourth. Nina Navarrow took a 2-1 pitch the opposite way for a single in to right field to give Towson runners on first and second with no outs and bringing the cleanup hitter Stephanie Fudurich to the plate. Fudurich hit a gapper to left center field driving in two runs. Amanda Shattuck relieved Gomez after the double, inheriting the runner on second with no outs. Shattuck threw an illegal pitch on her first offering, advancing the runner to third and then, after fighting back from a 3-0 count, she walked Emily Gould on a 3-2 pitch. Steph Streets hit a sacrifice fly to make it a 4-3 game and Jen Hastings followed with a two-run shot to put Towson on top 5-4 before Drexel got out of the inning.
Brown put Drexel back on top in the bottom of the inning when she launched her fourth homer of the year over the right centerfield fence with Katrina Gaudier on first, giving the Dragons a 6-5 lead.
Towson evened the score when Kim Lempa scampered home on a wild pitch in the dirt by Shattuck in the top of the fifth making it a 6-6 game.
Sandi Wambold led off the bottom half of the frame with a single blasted through the middle for her second hit of the game. Carla Waldron pinch ran for her and advanced on a sacrifice by Rodriguez and sprinted to third on a wild pitch by Arnoldi. Beaver blooped a single into short right field but Waldron had to hold at third when it was nearly caught by the right fielder.
Hastings stepped to the plate with runners on first and third and one out and hit a ball nearly identical to Beaver's hit but on the left field line. The ball hit just inside the line and spun away from the left fielder into foul territory as Waldron came in to score, reclaiming the lead for Drexel, and Hastings took second with her second double of the game. Gaudier belted a single off the first baseman scoring Beaver from third to put Drexel on top 8-6.
Williams executed a perfect squeeze-play bunt on the first offering from Arnoldi as Hastings started from third base. The third baseman over threw first on the play allowing Gaudier to score from first and Williams to advance to third, giving the Dragons a commanding 10-6 lead.
Towson threatened in the top of the sixth when Shattuck walked consecutive batters with one out before giving way to Gaudier. The runners advanced on a ball that got under the glove of Dacey. Gaudier threw a drop ball in the dirt that ricocheted off Dacey's shin guard and went out of play, allowing the runner on third to score to make it 10-7. Gaudier settled down to get a ground out on the next pitch before fanning lead-off hitter Kim Lempa to end the inning.
Gaudier earned her first career save after holding Towson hittless for one and two-thirds innings and striking out one batter. Shattuck picked up her second win of the season. Arnoldi took the loss for Towson after giving up five earned runs over four innings.
Game Two
Amanda Hastings energized the crowd and Drexel bench with her first career home run, which gave Drexel a 2-0 lead in the second inning. But Towson would answer with three homers of its own to pull away for a 7-3 victory.
Drexel got on the board in the second inning when Rodriguez ripped a stand-up double to left centerfield and Hastings followed with her homer, an opposite-field shot that put Drexel on top 2-0.
After picking up her first career save in game one, Gaudier took the circle as the starter in game two. She cruised through the opening innings, striking out the side in the second inning. The Dragons flashed some leather in the third inning as Gaudier snared a come-backer up the middle and Beaver made a diving catch at shortstop. Jessica Bongiovanni, who replaced Hastings in right field, sprinted in to make a diving grab to end the inning.
Gaudier kept Towson off the board until the third inning when back-to-back two-out base hits pushed across Emily Gould who had reached on a fielder's choice. Ashley Stiner and Jen Hastings followed with back-to-back home runs, Stiner's a three-run shot, to put Towson on top 5-2.
Drexel chipped away at the Tigers' lead in the bottom of the fourth as Rodriguez led off with a single and Ashley Botelho ripped a double to the base of the fence in left centerfield. Bongiovanni hit an RBI groundout to plate Rodriguez from third and make it a 5-3 game, but that would be the only run support Gaudier would get as the Dragons' offense stalled in the final three innings.
Towson got two more runs on a home run by Jen Hastings in the fifth inning to push its lead to 7-3. Freshman Shannon Johnston improved to 6-5 on the year with a complete-game performance. She allowed all three earned runs on nine hits and struck out seven batters. Gaudier lasted four and a third innings for Drexel and gave up seven earned runs to take the loss. Shattuck allowed one hit in two and two-thirds innings of relief but also walked three batters.
The teams resolve the series tomorrow at Drexel Field. Opening pitch is set for noon.
