Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Fairleigh Dickinson
Hastings, Dragons Hammer Fairleigh Dickinson In Doubleheader Sweep
4/30/2008 2:52:57 PM | Softball
Philadelphia – Senior Amanda Hastings gave her home fans a fond farewell with a home run in both ends of a Drexel (27-17, 10-8) doubleheader sweep over Fairleigh Dickinson (9-31) in the final games of the season at Drexel Field and the last home games of Hastings' Drexel career. Breanna Gomez earned the complete-game victory in a run-rule shortened 9-1 win in game one and freshman Ellen Boundy shut down the Knights in a 10-2 five-inning victory in the nightcap.
Game One
Drexel batted around in the first two innings while piling on runs in a 9-1 five-inning run-rule victory over Fairleigh Dickinson (9-30) in game one. Playing for the final time in front of her home fans senior Amanda Hastings blasted her fifth homer of the season in the first inning to give the Dragons an early 2-0 lead. She also doubled in the game and drove in three runs. Ashley Botelho went 3-for-4 from the plate and scored three of Drexel's nine runs.
Breanna Gomez threw her fourth complete game of the season, scattering five hits and walking five while allowing just one run through five innings.
Thanks to Hastings' two-run shot and four walks by FDU starter Trina Fields the Dragons took a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
The knights got one back in the top of the second as Gomez surrendered four straight singles capped by an RBI knock to right field by lead-off hitter Justina Augustine. The sophomore stilled her composure to induce a grounder to Waldron who cut down the runner at home on a force. Gomez fanned the next batter to end the inning.
Drexel sent its entire lineup to the plate in each of the first two innings, coming away with three runs in both frames and leaving the bases loaded to end them. Hastings nearly sent another ball out of the park in her second at bat of the day, but settled for a stand-up double when the ball landed at the base of t he fence in left centerfield. The two-bagger brought home Rodriguez who singled to lead off the inning. Two walks and a Carla Waldron RBI base knock later the Dragons took a comfortable 6-1 lead going into the third inning.
After yielding two more walks to the Knights to start the third inning, Gomez got her infield involved in the game with excellent results. Waldron made a nifty pick up of a grounder to her right and flicked the ball to Kristen Beaver for the force out at second. The next batter blistered a grounder to third base where Sandi Wambold made the pick up, tagged the bag and fired the ball across the diamond for an inning-ending double play.
Molly Dacey missed her 14th career home run by inches, leading off Drexel's fourth inning with a double to centerfield. She would come around to score on a single by Beaver two batters later. A fielder's choice ground out by Lisa Williams moved Waldron to third base she would come in to score when Rodriguez smashed a screaming liner back at pitcher Nicole Nelson. Nelson corralled the ball in her midsection for the out, but she threw it away trying to double Waldron off third base, allowing Drexel to take an 8-1 lead.
Dacey's second straight double plated Botelho from second base for the Dragons' ninth run. The RBI invoked the eight-run rule to end the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Game Two
Drexel ended proceedings early in the nightcap as well when a sacrifice fly by Ashley Botelho brought in Christina Rodriguez to give the Dragons a 10-2 run-rule victory in the fifth inning. Lisa Williams went 4-for-4 with three singles and a double and three runs scored. Amanda Hastings mashed her second homer of the day, a two-run shot, and Ashely Botelho drove in three runs, two on a pair of sacrifice flies.
Freshman pitcher Ellen Boundy picked up the complete game victory in her fifth start of the season, improving to 6-3 on the year. She allowed two earned runs on four hits and a walk and struck out four batters. Boundy allowed just one base runner after the second inning in a solid starting effort.
Drexel jumped all over the Knights in the first inning of game two. Lisa Williams beat out a in infield single, stole second and came in to score on an RBI double by Ashley Botelho
Fairleigh Dickinson got two runs back in the top of the second without hitting a ball out of the infield to knot the game at 2-2. Kristen Coughlin was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Lindsay Glidden and Hope Hilman followed with bunt singles. Hilman's bunt was well place and got past a charging Molly Dacey allowing Coughlin to score. Kim Carbaugh laid down a third straight bunt, Sandi Wambold fielded it cleanly but her errant throw to first base allowed Glidden to come in from second base. Hilman was caught napping on first base and was thrown out on a relay throw from catcher Ashley Botelho. The Dragons got out of the unconventional inning when Ali Keltos hit the first ball out of the infield for the Knights on a single to right. Amanda Hastings collected it and threw a perfect two-bouncer to the plate which was scooped up by Botelho in time to tag out Carbaugh charging home from third base to end the inning.
Drexel pulled back ahead in the third inning on a rally once again started by Williams. The speedy centerfielder led off the frame with a double to the wall in right center she moved to third on a ground out by Hastings and came in on a sacrifice fly ball off the bat of Ashely Botelho. Sandi Wambold drilled Ashley Buchanan's first offering over the fence in right center to make it a 4-2 game and inch closer to the 100-hit mark in her career. The Dragons added another third run in the inning when Kristen Beaver drew a bases-loaded walk, making it 5-2 in Drexel's favor.
Boundy found her groove after the second inning, she faced just one over the minimum through the next three innings while striking out three batters to keep the Knights off the scoreboard.
Hastings second dinger of the day soared over the right field fence to the delight of fans perched in the right field stands. The senior's sixth homer of the season gave her team a commanding 7-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth. After Hastings' long fly the Dragons teed off on Buchanan's pitching. Botelho belted a single to left field, Dacey followed with a slicing double to center that brought Botelho in from first. The Dragons took one more when a grounder by Jessica Bongiovanni made it under the glove of Ali Keltos at shortstop to make it a 9-2 game.
Botelho ended the game early with her second sacrifice fly of the game, bringing home Christina Rodriguez from third to make it a 10-2 game in the fifth inning, giving the Dragons the necessary eight run lead to invoke the run rule.
Drexel wraps up its 2008 regular season with a three-game series at Georgia State this weekend. Saturday's game is slated for a 2:00 p.m. opening pitch in Panthersville, Ga. The Dragons closed out their home season with a 14-3 mark at Drexel Field, the team's best record at home since 2001.
