Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Delaware
Softball Blasts Delaware 10-0 To Wrap Up Weekend Series
4/6/2008 3:53:57 PM | Softball
Philadelphia – Drexel (19-11, 6-3) bounced back from a doubleheader sweep by Delaware (16-14, 3-6) on Saturday to return the favor with a 10-0 trouncing of the Blue Hens in game three of the CAA series on Sunday. Seniors Amanda Hastings and Molly Dacey led their team in the convincing victory. Hastings went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and Dacey was 3-for-4 at the plate with a two-run home run. Katrina Gaudier threw a complete-game one-hit shutout for her 11th victory of the season.
The Dragons answered Delaware's run-rule victory in game two by scoring 10 runs on a season-high 17 hits. Gaudier, Dacey, Sandi Wambold, Ashley Botelho, Hastings and Christina Rodriguez all had multi-hit games for Drexel.
After the rain slowed on Sunday, Drexel and Delaware reconvened for the third and final game of the weekend CAA series. In the early going it seemed to be more of the same frustrations for the Dragons as Drexel loaded the bases in the top of the second inning but Delaware starter Ann Marie Pagano, whom the Dragons touched up for four runs on Saturday, fanned Katrina Gaudier to end the inning.
Gaudier, herself, pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning after she issued walks to Katie Lee, Allison Borchers and Michelle Grap. But the sophomore hurler induced a grounder to Carla Waldron at second base for the inning-ending force out. Although Gaudier struggled with her command early, walking four of the first six batters she faced, the opportunistic pitcher escaped trouble again in the second inning by getting a double play ball which was promptly converted into two outs by Kristen Beaver and Carla Waldron.
Dacey gave the Dragons their first runs since game one on Saturday with a two-run blast to center field that put Drexel on top 2-0 in the second inning. Dacey's shot pulled her ahead of Ashely Botelho for Drexel's all-time lead in home runs with 12 in her career.
The four-bagger chased starter Ann Marie Pagano in favor of Samantha Shawn, who did not allow run in seven innings of work in appearances in both games on Saturday. After giving up a single to Christina Rodriguez, Shawn ended the inning on a ground out by Waldron.
Amanda Hastings broke things open in the fourth inning, giving the Dragons their first runs of the series against Shawn on an RBI double to left-center that drove home Lisa Williams from third base. Sandi Wambold drove in Gaudier with a single. A walk by Dacey loaded the bases for Rodriguez. The junior pulled a double into left field to give the Dragons a 6-0 lead and Hastings and Wambold both came in to score.
The big Drexel inning on offense gave Gaudier a healthy cushion in the pitching circle. She breezed through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, retiring the Blue Hens in order in both innings with the only speed bump on a fielding error by Waldron at second in the fifth inning. She quickly atoned for it by picking up the next grounder for an inning-ending putout.
Drexel blew open the game in the top of the seventh inning by taking advantage of a seemingly innocuous fielding error by Lindsay Novak at shortstop to score four runs. Jessica Bongiovanni led off the inning with a pinch-hit single. Kristen Beaver followed with a grounder to short which was booted by Novak. Lisa Williams drove a single through the middle of the infield to plate pinch runner Carla Waldron from second. The RBI single knocked Shawn out of the game in favor of Michelle Kennedy for the Blue Hens. Katrina Gaudier reached with an infield single to load the bases for Hastings with no outs. Hastings singled to right field, driving in two runs. Botelho followed with a sacrifice fly to make it a 11-0 Drexel lead.
Gaudier shut the door on her 11th win of the season by inducing two ground-ball outs after walking the second batter of the inning. She allowed just one hit in the shutout victory while striking out one batter and issuing five walks in seven innings of work. With the victory, Drexel has already surpassed its win total from last year with 18 games remaining in the regular season.
The Dragons are back in action on Tuesday, April 8 when they host Philadelphia rival Saint Joseph's for an afternoon doubleheader at 3:00 p.m.
