Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Towson
Brown Continues Assault on Softball Records, But Dragons Fall 11-8 to Towson
4/7/2007 2:51:56 PM | Softball
Philadelphia, Pa. – Senior Brianne Brown homered for the second time in three games against Towson (17-18, 4-5 CAA), but the Dragons (11-9, 4-5 CAA) could not recover from a three-run seventh inning by the Tigers, losing 11-8 in the series finale. Brown's shot gave her five home runs on the season, tying Drexel's single-season record for round-trippers.
Drexel rallied from a two-run deficit after the first inning and an dug itself out of a three-run hole in the fifth inning. But Towson touched up relief pitcher Amanda Shattuck (East Providence, R.I./East Providence) for three runs in top of the seventh, which proved to be a lead the Dragons could not erase in the bottom of the frame.
The Dragons lost at home for just the third time all season, dropping the third and deciding game of the series to Towson. Lisa Williams, Lena Aiken, Ashley Botelho and Brown all had two hits in the game. Drexel knocked out 12 hits in the contest to Towson's 13, but both teams stranded seven runners on the basepaths.
Drexel got off to an inauspicious start when Breanna Gomez hit lead-off batter Kim Lempa with the first pitch of the game. Her second offering was bunted by Megan Zwoyer and could not be picked up by Brown, who attempted to bare-hand it while charging in from third base. Nina Navarro roped a double into the right-field corner to give Towson a 1-0 lead. Stephanie Fudurich followed with a sacrifice fly to left field making it a 2-0 game. Brown atoned for her gaff with a heady play, catching the runner breaking from second on a grounder by Emily Gould. Williams made a good running catch on a shallow fly ball in centerfield to get out of the inning.
Brown's record-tying shot also tied the game at 2-2 with one out and Aiken on base. The homer was hooked down the left field line and crossed the fence just inside the foul pole. Drexel took the lead in the second when Botelho led off with a triple slicing down the right field line. The three-bagger chased starter Jess Arnoldi and brought Jillian Kiley, the loser in game one yesterday. Kiley threw a pitch in the dirt that got away from Aimee Rosa and allowed Botelho to score the go-ahead run. Two more wild pitches by Kiley brought Aiken home, moved Williams to third after a bunt single and made it a 4-2 Drexel game. Aiken singled home Williams for the third run of the inning.
Towson got two back in the third on a two-RBI liner just over the head of a leaping Kristen Beaver at shortstop. Gould followed with a seeing-eye single to left field which was enough to bring on Katrina Gaudier in relief of Gomez. With runners on first and second and one out Gauder allowed a double to right centerfield that tied the game at 5-5. Stephanie Streets hit a hot grounder to second that got away from Aiken allowing Towson to score and go ahead 6-5.
In the bottom of the fourth Drexel loaded the bases with two outs, bringing Wambold to the plate with a chance to put the Dragons back on top. But reliever Kelly Johnston, who won the second game yesterday, regained her composure to strike out the sophomore on a breaking pitch on the outside corner.
Further deflating the Dragons, Stephanie Fudurich led off with a home run to right centerfield to give Towson a 7-5 lead in the fifth. Ashley Stiner hit a towering fly ball to the warning track that plated the Tiger's eighth run in the game on a sacrifice fly.
Drexel finally got to Johnston in the fifth inning with three straight singles by #Molly Dacey#, Christina Rodriguez and Botelho to start off the inning. Botelho's grounder got under the glove of the second baseman on the relay from centerfield allowing pinch runner Carla Waldron to score and Botelho to take second. Stiner was victimized a second time when she tracked down a foul ball off the bat of Beaver for the first out of the inning, but when she turned to fire home from the right field line, her throw sailed over the catcher and into the Drexel dugout, allowing the tying runs to score on the overthrow.
Shattuck took over in the circle with the game tied at 8-8 in the fifth. The sophomore worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning to give Drexel a chance to reclaim the lead. The seventh inning was a different story, however, as Shattuck walked the cleanup hitter and three singles later, Towson was on top 9-8. She settled to get two grounders to second which Aiken converted into force outs at home plate. But Shattuck issued a walk to Lempa to force home another run. Megan Zwoyer brought in another with a single up the middle to make it 11-8 in Towson's favor.
Beaver gave Drexel some two-out hope with a roped double to the fence in left centerfield. But Gaudier grounded out to end the game.
Shattuck took the loss after giving up three runs on four hits in two innings of work. Johnston earned her second win of the series. She pitched five innings without surrendering an earned run, scattering seven hits and striking out five batters.
Brown's home run ties her with Dawn Critchfield for the single-season record. Critchfield's five home runs came during the 1998 season. Brown already owns Drexel's career mark for home runs and she also tied the single-game mark earlier this season.
Drexel is back in action for a midweek doubleheader at Philadelphia rival Saint Joseph's on Wednesday, April 11 at 2:30 p.m.
