Collings' Clutch Hit Gives Drexel Doubleheader Split Against UNCW

Saturday, April 10

Drexel Field

11:00 a.m.

Drexel University

UNC Wilmington

Paige Collings drove in three runs on the day including the game-winner in game two.

Collings' Clutch Hit Gives Drexel Doubleheader Split Against UNCW

4/10/2010 1:15:54 PM | Softball

Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two

Philadelphia – A walk-off RBI single by Paige Collings with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning capped a thrilling victory for Drexel (11-14, 2-6) and salvaged a doubleheader split with UNC Wilmington in CAA play on Saturday at Drexel Field. Collings' timely rap gave the Dragons a 4-3 extra-inning win. The Seahawks (7-26, 2-6) came from behind for a 5-2 win in the opener. Collings combined to go 3-for-9 on the day with three RBIs.

Game One

A five-run fourth inning proved to be too much for the Dragons to overcome in a 5-2 loss to UNC Wilmington in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. The Seahawks got a strong pitching performance from starting pitcher Amanda Davenport in their second conference win of the season. Paige Collings and Kelly Downes drove in runs for the Dragons in the loss.

UNCW starter Amanda Davenport held Drexel off the scoreboard and without a hit through the first two innings of a game that had the makings of a pitchers duel. But the Dragons broke through in the third inning and their first two hits scored runs. Rachel Campbell got it started when she was hit by a pitch and stole second with one out. Downes drove her in with a double to left field that hit the wall on the fly. Paige Collings followed suit by knocking a single the opposite way into right field to plate Downes and give Drexel a 2-0 lead.

The Seahawks responded in the top of the fourth inning when the first six runners reached base and four runs came in to score. RBI singles by Morgan Walters, Katie Houmard and Michelle Harrison chased starter Hillary Allen from the game in favor of Ellen Boundy.

Amanda Davenport would keep the Dragons off the scoreboard for the duration of the contest to earn her second win of the season. Allen took the loss for Drexel, dropping to 6-5 on the season. She allowed five earned runs in three and one-third innings of work. Boundy pitched effectively in relief for three and two-thirds innings. She allowed just two hits and struck out a batter without allowing a run.

Game Two

Paige Collings came up with a walk-off single to right center in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Drexel a 4-3 win in the nightcap allowing the Dragons to salvage a split of the Saturday doubleheader. The Dragons were able to overcome six errors in the game thanks in large part to starter Katrina Gaudier who stranded 15 Seahawks on base and fanned three in a complete-game victory.

Collings went 2-for-5 in the game with two RBIs, none bigger than her game-winner in the 10th inning. Kelly Downes also came through with some clutch hitting with a two-RBI double in the sixth inning to rouse the Drexel offense from a five-inning slumber and bring the team back from a 2-0 deficit in the win.

Samme Lisowsky held the Dragons to one hit through the first five innings and pitched a top-notch game despite taking the loss. She threw nine and two-thirds innings and scattered six hits and four walks and also struck out 11 Drexel batters.

Lauryn Buckworth gave the Seahawks a 1-0 lead in the second inning when she belted an outside pitch to right center for a double with a runner on second.

The Dragons escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third inning and nearly evaded a similar situation in the fourth inning when a single, a hit batter and a bit of speedy base-running by the Seahawks loaded the sacks again. This time, however, the Dragons would not be as fortunate. Ashley Shingleton hit a grounder to Caprice DeMirjian at shortstop, but Buckworth slid under the tag at home giving UNCW a 2-0 lead. Gaudier would get another ground ball out and a fly to left field to end the inning with minimal damage on the scoreboard.

Aside from an Ashley Botelho single in the in the second inning, starter Samme Lisowsky silenced the Dragons' bats through five innings. Drexel got its second runner of the game in the sixth inning when Caprice DeMirjian drew a lead-off walk and coaxed an errant throw from the catcher that allowed her to scamper down to second base. Rachel Campbell followed with a walk after fighting off a number of pitches. Laura Stagliano moved the runners over with a bunt. Kelly Downes followed by popping a single in to shallow left field to bring home both runners and tie the score at 2-2.

Wilmington was again able to load the bases in the top of the seventh inning on an error and two walks. Fortunately Gaudier settled down to strikeout Brianna Lofton to escape the inning and strand the Seahawks on the bases.

Devon Metcalf gave the Dragons a chance to win it in the bottom of the seventh when she beat out an infield single to first base and stole second. But the Dragons could not bring her home for the go-ahead run and the game entered extra innings.

A Kelsey Eddinger gapper that found its way to the wall in left centerfield drove home Ashley Shingleton from second base to put the Seahawks on top in 3-2 in the eighth inning. A quick relay by the Dragons outfield extinguished the trail runner at home plate, but not before the damage had been done. Gaudier got a ground out to second base to end the inning.

With their backs to the wall in the bottom of the eight the Dragons came up with a little two-out magic. Kelly Downes skied a ball down the left field line. Ashley Shingleton camped under the ball on the warning track but as she squeezed what would have been the game-ending out, the ball popped from her glove, allowing Downes to make it to second base. Paige Collings followed with a grounder through the middle to score Downes and re-tie the game.

Gaudier stranded a 15th runner on base in the top of the 10th inning, giving her team a chance to win in the bottom of the inning.

In Drexel's half of the inning pinch hitter Caitlyn Gravenor drew a lead-off walk and Campbell followed with a single slapped into left field. Stagliano sacrificed the runners to second and third. Downes followed with a grounder to shortstop, DeMirjian broke from third on the roller and collided with the catcher at home just as the throw got to the plate, but Stacy Pinno was able to hold on to the ball as she was knocked to the ground and DeMirjian was called out. But Collings was able to pick up her team with the game winning single to end the extra-inning affair in dramatic fashion.

With the doubleheader split, Drexel and UNC Wilmington remain tied on the CAA leaderboard with identical 2-6 records in league play. The teams will meet for the rubber match on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at Drexel Field.