Softball Pulls Out Dramatic 5-4 Win at Delaware

Sunday, April 25

Newark, Del.

12:00 p.m.

Drexel University

Delaware

Softball Pulls Out Dramatic 5-4 Win at Delaware

4/25/2010 2:09:49 PM | Softball

Box Score

Newark, Del. - Paige Collings and Jenn Reading came up with clutch RBI hits in the seventh inning to bring Drexel from behind for a 5-4 win over Delaware (18-25-1, 6-9). The victory gives Drexel (19-18, 7-8) its third straight CAA series victory and the Dragons are now in sole possession of fourth place in the conference. Collings drove in three of the Dragons' runs in the game and hit her team-leading seventh homer of the season. Katrina Gaudier pitched the last two innings to get the win.

Drexel trailed 4-3 heading into the seventh inning after Delaware scored twice in the bottom of the sixth. Amanda Bachmann led off the seventh with a double roped to left center. Hanna Parrish bunted her over to third base before Kelly Downes grounded out to shortstop. With two outs Collings, who had homered in the third inning, stepped to the plate and drove an outside pitch through the right side of the infield to send Bachmann home with the tying run. Ashley Botelho followed it up with a single to center field that moved Collings to second. Caprice DeMirjian pinch ran for Collings. Jenn Reading ripped a double just inside the left field line to plate DeMirjian with the go-ahead run.

Gaudier retired the Blue Hens in order on a pair of grounders and a pop out to Kelly Downes to give Drexel the thrilling victory over its conference rival.

Hillary Allen started the game for Drexel and worked five and two-thirds innings before being relieved by Gaudier in the sixth inning. She allowed four runs on six hits and a walk and struck out two Blue Hens.

Delaware took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-RBI double by Amanda Stacevicz that scored Michelle Grap and Lindsay Novak.

Collings erased Delaware's lead in the third inning with her two-run shot to left center. The blast was Collings' seventh of the season and tied Drexel's single-season record for home runs, matching the marks of Ashley Botelho and Sandi Wambold set last season.

Allen cruised through the second, third and fourth innings, retiring the Blue Hens in order. She led off the top of the fourth with a solo home run to left field to give the Dragons a 3-2 lead. Allen's first homer of the season knocked starter Amanda Stacevicz out of the game in favor of Ann Marie Pagano.

The heart of Delaware's order victimized Allen in the sixth inning. Clean-up hitter Michelle Grap blasted her conference-leading 13th home run of the season to knot the game at 3-3. Allen settled down to strikeout Stacevicz, but the third strike got away from Collings behind the plate, allowing Stacevicz to reach first. Cecile Egan hit a fielder's choice grounder to shorststop for the second out of the inning, but Shanette White and Rachel Jones followed with singles to load the bases. Gaudier relieved Allen with the bases full of Blue Hens and promptly struck out Emily Wilcox, but again the third strike pitch eluded Collings which sent Egan running home from third. Collings flip to the plate was just late as Egan slid in to give the Hens a 4-3 lead. Bachmann tracked down a fly ball by Gina Knutson in left field to end the inning and set up Drexel's exciting seventh-inning rally.

Pagano took the loss for Delaware after letting up the go-ahead runs in four innings of work on the rubber. She let up four hits, walked two and struck out four. Stacevicz allowed three runs on six hits in three innings while fanning four batters.

The Dragons' win, combined with a loss by James Madison against Towson, gives the Dragons sole possession of fourth place in the CAA behind Hofstra, Georgia State and Towson.

Drexel returns to action this Thursday, when the Drgons travel up the Main Line to challenge Villanova at 3:00 p.m.