Dragons Slam Gaels In Doubleheader Split

Thursday, March 25

Drexel Field

2:00 p.m.

Drexel University

Iona

Downes' grand slam was Drexel's second and ended game two early due to the eight-run rule

3/25/2010 4:08:53 PM | Softball

Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two

Philadelphia – Kelly Downes concluded a doubleheader split against Iona (7-12) with a thrilling walk-off grand slam in the fifth inning of game two. Downes blast was the second of two slams for the Dragons in the nightcap and gave Drexel a 10-2 win. Iona beat Drexel 3-2 in eight innings in the opener. The Dragons (6-7) open CAA play this weekend with a three-game set against Towson.

Game One

Hillary Allen took the loss for Drexel to drop her record to 3-2 on the season. She gave up just two earned runs despite getting peppered with 13 hits and yielding two walks.

Allen pitched her way out of a bases-loaded two-out jam in the top of the seventh, inducing a ground ball of the bat of pinch hitter Beth Kann to keep the Gaels off the scoreboard. The inning would be a harbinger of future precarious innings for the sophomore hurler in the game.

Jodi Peterson gave Iona its first run in the third inning with an RBI double driven to the wall in right centerfield to bring home pinch runner Tierney Markou. Peterson took third on the throw from center and came home to score on a bloop single by Eileen McCann.

Drexel got its offense going in the bottom of the fourth when pinch hitter Katy Harrington poked a single into shallow center to lead off the inning. Ashley Botelho skied a ball to center that was dropped by Jodi Peterson. Paige Collings took an outside pitch the opposite way for a single through past a diving second baseman to plate Laura Stagliano from second base. The RBI single made it a 2-1 game for the Gaels.

The Dragons threatened again in the fifth inning by getting Caprice DeMirjian to second base with no outs. She took third on a bunt single by Hanna Parrish. But Rachel Campbell's attempted bunt died in front of home plate allowing catcher Melanie Gettins to smother it and tag out DeMirjian who was charging home on the play.

Allen pitched her way out of trouble again in the sixth inning to keep the game close. Iona loaded the bases for Peterson with two outs. The cagey sophomore hurler got her to pop up an inside pitch to Caitlyn Gravenor at third for the last out.

A third Drexel rally was quashed before it could gain traction in the sixth inning. Botelho led off the frame with a single pulled through the left side. But Paige Collings hit lined into a double play at first base to kill the rally.

In their last chance to square the game the Dragons led off the seventh with Kelly Downes reaching base on an error by the third baseman. DeMirjian sacrificed her to second and Parrish followed with her second bunt single of the game. She quickly took second with the second baseman covering the base at first, leaving the bag open. Downes came in to score when a bunt by Campbell was mishandled by Amy Metcalfe at third, tying the game at 2-2.

Allen nearly dodged disaster again in the eighth inning after loading the bases with no outs. She drew ground balls out of the first and second batters in the order, but walked Petersen to push home a run and give Iona a 3-2 lead.

Game Two

In the nightcap Kelly Downes hit a walk-off grand slam that invoked the eight-run rule and gave Drexel a 10-2 victory in five innings. Downes blast was the second of two grand slams in the game, with rookie Jenn Reading's giving Drexel a 5-2 lead in the second inning. Pitcher Ellen Boundy struckout a season-high six batters in her first win of the season.

Iona hung two runs on starter Ellen Boundy in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Jodi Petersen and a home run by Eileen McCann, to take a 2-0 lead early.

The Dragons roared back into the game in the second inning with Rachel Campbell drawing a bases-loaded two-out walk on a 3-2 count to give Drexel its first run. Jenn Reading followed by drilling the second pitch she saw for a towering grand slam to straight-away centerfield. The long fly was Reading's second of the season and put Drexel on top 5-2.

Drexel knocked starter Alyssa Maiese from the game in the third inning after Devon Metcalf led off the inning with an infield single. Deanne Algeo relieved her and promptly gave up a single to Kelly Downes, giving Drexel runners on second and third with one out. Caprice DeMirjian plated Metcalf from third with an RBI groundout to second base, making it a 6-2 Drexel lead.

The first three runners of the fifth inning reached on singles and Kelly Downes sent the fans home early with a walk-off grand slam that invoked the eight-run rule and gave Drexel the 10-2 win.

Boundy struckout five of the first nine batters she faced and limited Iona to two runs through five innings. She settled down to retire 11 of the next 12 batters after the first inning thanks to the help of a diving grab by catcher Paige Collings of a foul pop-up in the fifth inning. She finished the game with a season-high six strikeouts and earned her first win of the season while limiting Iona to two runs on two hits and a walk.

Starter Alyssa Maiese took the loss for the Gaels, dropping to 2-7 on the season. She allowed six runs on three hits and four walks through two and a third innings.