Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Georgia State
Drexel Softball Opens Three-Game Set at Georgia State Tonight
4/2/2010 9:25:19 AM | Softball
Atlanta- The softball Dragons will pick up their CAA schedule this weekend with a three-game series at Georgia State. Drexel (8-10, 1-2) is coming off a win over Towson in the series finale last weekend and a split midweek against Bucknell. The Dragons are back on the road for the first time since the end of February when they participated in the UCSB Gaucho Classic. Georgia State (21-11, 2-1) took two of three from UNC Wilmington on the road this weekend and are currently in a second place tie in the CAA standings. Opening pitch for Friday's game is set for 5:00 p.m. and the teams will play a doubleheader starting at noon on Saturday. Click here to follow the action on gametracker.
Ashley Botelho and Kelly Downes have been weilding hot bats for the Dragons of late. Botelho crunched her fourth homer of the season in the second game against Bucknell on Wednesday and Downes hit her second round-tripper in the opener. Botelho is leading the CAA in batting, hitting .393 on the season and she is two RBIs away from tying Drexel's all-time record of 99 runs driven in. In the pitching circle, Hillary Allen has been as sharp as any hurler in the league thus far this year. She is 4-2 with a miniscule 1.70 ERA and is coming off a complete-game victory against Bucknell on Wednesday.
The 2010 Panthers are powered by the bats of Lauren Jones, Danielle Roddy and Lily Skelton. Skelton and Jones are tied for second in the CAA with seven homers on the year, while Roddy is batting .337 with three homers and 17 RBIs and leads the league in walks. On the pitching rubber, rookie McCall Langford has anchored Georgia State's staff this season along with senior Alana Thomas. Langford is second in the CAA with eight pitching victories and Thomas ranks fifth in the league with a 1.68 ERA and opponents are hitting just .232 against her.
Georgia State leads the all-time series with Drexel 14-4 and the Panthers won two of three in Philadelphia agains the Dragons last year. Hillary Allen pitched the Dragons to a 5-3 victory in game two of the series-opening doubleheader but the Panthers bounced back for a 6-0 win in the rubber game.
