Drexel's Bats Come to Life in Softball Doubleheader Sweep of Rival Penn

Wednesday, April 21

Philadelphia, Pa.

3:00 p.m.

Drexel University

Penn

Drexel's Bats Come to Life in Softball Doubleheader Sweep of Rival Penn

4/21/2010 5:17:44 PM | Softball

Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two

Philadelphia - Drexel outscored University City rival Penn (13-21) 15-2 in a doubleheader sweep on Wednesday. Hillary Allen threw a complete-game shutout and went 2-for-4 at the plate in a 7-0 win in game one. Paige Collings drove in four runs and hit her team-leading sixth homer of the season in a 8-2 Drexel victory in the nightcap. The Dragons even their overall record at 17-17 on the season with the sweep.

Game One

Hillary Allen confounded Penn (13-20) through seven innings to earn her third shutout of the season as Drexel triumphed 7-0 over its University City rival in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader. Allen was also one of four Dragons with multiple hits in the game.

Allen allowed just three hits and two walks in her seven innings and looked very sharp in striking out five Quakers in the game.

Allen also benefitted from three Drexel double playes turned by her defense. The best of the three twin-killings came in the fourth inning when Alisha Prystowsky led off with a triple to left field. Allen came back to strike out the next batter and the following Quaker hit a fly ball to left field. Amanda Bachmann caught it for the second out and launched a throw home that flew clean over the head of Paige Collings. Allen, who was backing up the throw grabbed the carom off the backstop and shoveled it to first baseman Caitlyn Gravenor who was covering home plate, the throw was in time and got the runner coming home from third base for the final out of the inning.

Ashley Botelho went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Jenn Reading, and Paige Collings also notched multi-hit games.

Lindsay Mann took the loss for Penn after allowing five earned runs on seven hits and five walks through three innings. She was also nabbed on a number of illegal pitches which helped Drexel mount its sizeable lead.

Game Two

Drexel scored eight runs on 12 hits in the nightcap to complete the sweep with an 8-2 victory. Paige Collings led the way with a 2-for-5 performance with four RBIs and a her team-leading sixth home run. Shyann Beach picked up her second victory of the season after throwing four effective innings in relief of starter Ellen Boundy.

The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Jenn Reading. Drexel put two more on the board in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead when Rachel Campbell came home on a past ball and Hanna Parrish scored Laura Stagliano from third on a bunt single.

Collings gave Drexel a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning when she followed a Kelly Downes double with her third home run in the the Dragons' last five games.

Drexel built its lead to 8-0 in the top of the seventh inning thanks to an RBI double by Amanda Bachmann. Collings drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded double to left centerfield off of Penn's relief pitcher Cailyn Hennessy.

Penn's only runs of the day came on an RBI double by Sam Erosa with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Erosa's two-bagger was one of only seven hits for the Quakers in the twinbill.

Drexel returns to action this weekend when the Dragons travel to play a three-game CAA series against their rival Delaware Blue Hens. Saturday's doubleheader is slated for a noon opening pitch and the series will conclude with game three on Sunday at noon.