Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Georgia State
Dragons Fall Short In Hotly Contested Doubleheader at Georgia State
5/3/2008 4:43:11 PM | Softball
Philadelphia – Junior Sandi Wambold became the 26th member of Drexel's 100-hit club with a pair of singles in game two at Georgia State. The Dragons fought back from a 5-2 deficit in game one, but fell just short in a tough 5-4 loss. In the nightcap the Dragons (27-19, 10-10) jumped out to a 4-0 lead by the second inning, but Georgia State (36-16, 14-5) roared back to win 8-5 and complete the doubleheader sweep. Molly Dacey went 5-for-7 over the two games with a double and a home run in the opener.
Game One
Drexel mounted a furious seventh-inning rally to come back from a 5-2 deficit at Georgia State. The Dragons plated two runs in the inning to make it a 5-4 game but with runners on second and third and two outs, Madi Gore got Amanda Hastings to strikeout swinging to end the game. Carla Waldron went 3-for-3 and scored a run in the game. Senior Molly Dacey was right in the middle of the Dragons' rally. She hit her 14th career home run to put Drexel on the board in the fifth inning and she led off the top of the seventh with a double. The loss drops Drexel to 27-18 overall and 10-9 in CAA play.
Madi Gore held Drexel at bay through the first four innings of the game. She earned the complete-game victory, allowing four runs on eight hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. Starter Katrina Gaudier kept the CAA's top offense within reach through the entire game, but incurred the loss after allowing five runs in six innings of work.
Trailing 4-1 going into the sixth inning, senior Amanda Hastings served notice that the Dragons were far from finished. She belted an RBI single to right field to score Christina Rodriguez and make it a 4-2 game. Georgia State got the run back in its half of the inning on a bases-loaded single by Lily Skelton to make it 5-2.
Dacey opened the seventh inning with a double to right field. Rachel Campbell replaced her to run at second base. After a pop out by Gaudier, Carla Waldron knocked her third single of the day to give the Dragons runners on first and third with one out. Kristen Beaver dropped down a bunt single that scored Campbell from third to close the Panthers' lead to 5-3. After a Rodriguez fly out, Lisa Williams stepped to the plate and stroked a single into right field, scoring Waldron with the Dragons' fourth run of the game. On the throw home Williams wisely advanced to second, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position with Hastings at bat. The senior, who was Drexel's hottest hitter entering the game, coming off a two-home run performance in a doubleheader against Fairleigh Dickinson, put together a good at bat before succumbing as Gore's eighth strikeout victim of the day.
The loss narrows Drexel's window of opportunity to qualify for the CAA Tournament as Towson swept a doubleheader against UNC Wilmington today to temporarily move ahead of the Dragons for fourth place in the tournament.
Game Two
Junior Sandi Wambold went 2-for-4 with her third-inning single giving her 100 career hits. She is the third Dragon to reach the mark this season and the 26th member of Drexel's 100-hit club. Molly Dacey went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, closing out a big day at the plate.
After coming on late in a game-one loss to Georgia State, the Dragons jumped all over the Panthers in game two, scoring in each of the first three frames to take a 5-0 lead going into the fourth.
Drexel opened the contest with a three-run first inning courtesy of four straight singles off the bats of Molly Dacey, Ashley Botelho, Sandi Wambold and Carla Waldron. Waldron's RBI poke was her fourth straight hit on the day as the Panthers were unable to keep her off the basepaths in three at bats in game one.
The Dragons broke through for another run in the second inning. Kristen Beaver led off with a walk and Christina Rodriguez followed with a bunt single. The Panthers recorded two straight outs at third base on fielder's choice grounders before Molly Dacey hit her second RBI single of the game.
Georgia State got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Catherine Lee of starter Breanna Gomez. The Panthers brought it to within a run at 5-4 on a two-RBI double by Rachel Cunningham.
Lily Skelton, who gave Georgia State what proved to be the go-ahead run in game one, came up big again for the Panthers in the nightcap. This time she hit a three-run double to put the Panthers on top 7-5 in the fourth inning. Rebecca Roles tacked on another run with a solo shot in the sixth inning for the final margin of victory for the Panthers.
Reliever Alicia Mills retired the Dragons in order in the sixth and seventh inning to earn the victory. Mills pitched four scoreless innings in relief of starter Ashley Cowan, allowing just two hits without issuing a walk and fanning six Dragons.
Ellen Boundy took the loss for Drexel. The freshman let up four runs in three innings of work on five hits and three walks.
