Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Bucknell
Softball Splits a Pair of Close Games With Bucknell
3/31/2010 4:55:57 PM | Softball
Philadelphia – Drexel split two tightly contested games against Bucknell in a Wednesday doubleheader at Drexel Field. Hillary Allen pitched the Dragons (8-10) to a 3-1 victory in the opener and Kelly Downes supplied the offense with her second homer of the year. In the nightcap Bucknell's reliever Liz Fanning kep the Dragons' bats in check and a ninth-inning double by pinch hitter Alicia Wheeler gave Bucknell (8-8) a 3-2 win.
Game one
Hillary Allen quieted the bats of Bucknell in a 3-1 Drexel victory in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader. The sophomore allowed one run on three hits and struckout two in a complete-game victory. Kelly Downes hit her second homer of the season to help Drexel (8-9, 1-2) edge the Bison (7-8).
Devon Metcalf drove in Drexel's second run and went 1-for-2 in the game. In addition to shutting down the hot-hitting Bison, who brought a .314 team batting average into the game, Allen helped her cause on offense with a single and a run scored.
Bucknell got on the scoreboard first when a single to centerfield by number nine hitter Alyssa Okita brought home Jane Messersmith from second base, giving the Bison a 1-0 lead.
Drexel hung a pair on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame to pull ahead 2-1. Paige Collings worked a lead-off walk and came around to score on a wild pitch. Devon Metcalf came through with a well-placed grouder up the middle to plate Hillary Allen from third and put the Dragons on top.
Kelly Downes added another run to Drexel's lead when she roped her second homer of the year to right center field in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Bison threatened one final time in the top of the seventh inning when the lead-off batter reached on an error by Caprice DeMirjian and two batters later Kara Sullivan singled to give the Bison runners on first and second with one out. But the Dragons escaped on a grounder back to Allen and DeMirjian atoned for her miscue by smothering a hot grounder at shortstop and shoveling it to Kelly Downes at second to end the game.
Bucknell starter Jane Messersmith lasted just an inning and a third before being relieved by Bridget Gates in the second inning. Messersmith took the loss after allowing two earned runs. Gates yielded just two hits and a run in four and two thirds innings in relief.
Game Two
An RBI double by Alicia Wheeler in the ninth inning proved to be the difference in a 3-2 win for Bucknell in the nightcap. Reliever Liz Fanning turned in a dominant performance by allowing just one hit in six and two thirds innings to pick up her second win of the season. Ashley Botelho hit her fourth home run of the season and went 2-for-4 in the game.
Ellen Boundy got the start in game two and lasted three and two-thirds innings before being relieved by Shyann Beach in the fourth. Boundy let up two runs on three hits and a walk and struck out three. Beach took the loss despite pitching and effective five and two thirds innings. She did not allow an earned run and yielded just two hits in her relief appearance.
Paige Collings knocked home Drexel's first run in the bottom of the first inning on a single to short left field. The run was set up by a Jenn Reading double ripped over the head of left fielder Jane Messersmith. Ashley Botelho followed with an opposite-field single to right. Botelho tripped over first baseman Shelly McCormack while rounding the bag and appeared to be tagged out at second base. After a lengthy discussion between the umpires, Botelho was awarded first base due to interference by the first baseman. This decision proved to be a big one when Collings followed two pitches later with an RBI single to give Drexel a 1-0 lead.
Alison Ford evened the score at a run apiece with a solo home run to left field off starter Ellen Boundy in the top of the second inning.
The tie was short-lived, however, when Ashley Botelho took an outside pitch to right field for her fourth homer of the season. Paige Collings followed with another opposite field hit, a single this time, which was enough to bounce starter Alex MacLean from the game in favor of Liz Fanning. Fanning retired the next two batters in order to end the inning with Drexel on top 2-1.
Alison Ford knotted the score again in the fourth inning with an RBI double to the gap in right center field. The ball was fumbled on the relay by Bachman and Laura Stagliano allowing Ford to take third. But reliever Shyann Beach settled down to induce a pair of ground outs to end the inning.
Bucknell threatened to score again in the sixth inning when Mary Horton led off with a bloop single and the Bison moved her around to third with a sacrifice bunt and a ground out. Ford, who was responsible for driving in the Bison's first two runs, stepped to the plate with two outs and Horton on third. The Dragons opted to take the bat out of her hands and intentionally walk her to get to Kara Sullivan. Sullivan took a full swing and nubbed a ball a few feet down the third base line. With Horton charging from third, catcher Ashley Botelho pounced on the ball, sliding on her knees to tag Horton and end the inning.
The Dragons used another bit of timely defense to squelch the Bison in the top of the seventh. Lead-off batter Jessie Snyder reached on a dropped fly ball by Bachmann in right. But her teammates picked her up when Alyssa Okita popped to shortstop. DeMirjian made the catch and fired the ball to first to double off Snyder who was lingering too far off the bag and could not get back in time.
Botelho came up with another outstanding defensive play in the top of the ninth inning when with a runner on first Kara Sullivan popped a bunt just in front of the plate. Botelho dove to catch the ball but it popped out when her glove made contact with the ground. But she alertly fired the ball to second base from her knees to throw out Ford who was delayed in leaving first base. The play became even more important when pinch hitter Alicia Wheeler doubled home Sullivan to give Bucknell a 3-2 lead.
Drexel travels to play a three-game CAA series against Georgia State on Friday in Atlanta.
