Botelho Matches RBI Record in Softball Sweep at Lafayette

Wednesday, April 7

Bethlehem, Pa.

3:00 p.m.

Drexel University

Lafayette

Botelho Matches RBI Record in Softball Sweep at Lafayette

4/7/2010 5:18:48 PM | Softball

Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two

Bethlehem, Pa. - Drexel swept a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at Lafayette (9-18). Senior Ashley Botelho went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the opener, matching Drexel's all-time record for career runs driven in, in an 8-0 six-inning run-rule victory for the Dragons. In the nightcap, Kelly Downes led a Drexel barrage, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs in a 13-7 win. Hillary Allen recorded pitching victories in both games for the Dragons (10-13, 1-5 CAA).

Game One

Senior Ashley Botelho went 3-for-4 with two doubles and her 10th RBI of the season, which broke a 17-year-old career record of 99 held by Kelli Griffith, in Drexel's 8-0 run-rule victory in game one of Wednesday's doubleheader. Hillary Allen turned in one of her most dominant performances of the season, allowing just two Leopard hits in six innings and striking out a season-high six batters.

Botelho led off the sixth inning with her second double of the game and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Devon Metcalf to give Drexel a 7-0 lead. Allen followed with an RBI single to score Katy Harrington from third and give her team a chance to end the game early with an eight-run lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Allen bookended a pair of groundouts and a strikeout around a double to give the Dragons a run-rule victory. Allen's pitching victory improved her record to 5-4 on the season.

Rookie Amanda Bachmann drove in two runs and went 2-for-4, including her first career triple. Kelly Downes went 2-for-4 and scored a pair of runs while moving up to hit in the number two spot in the lineup.

Kasey Karr took the loss for Lafayette after letting up six runs, four earned, on eight hits and four walks while striking out five to drop to 7-8 on the season.

Downes and Paige Collings teamed up to give Drexel a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Downes smacked a one-out double and Collings followed with an RBI single to right center.

The Dragons broke the game open in the second inning by hanging a four-spot on the scoreboard. The inning began when Metcalf reached on an error and stole second. Allen followed with a walk and both came in to score when Bachmann rapped her first triple of the season. Bachmann would later come in to score on a wild pitch, setting up Drexel's decisive victory.

Allen was in the middle of the Dragons' sixth run, scored in the fifth inning, when she scampered home from third with the bases loaded on a ball misplayed by the catcher on a ball hit by Laura Stagliano.

Game Two

Drexel opened game two the way it left of in the opener. The Dragons pushed five runs across the plate in the top of the first inning. Drexel batted around on starter Emily Noel, who recorded just one out, and reliever Christine Hilcken.

Amanda Bachmann moved to the lead-off spot after her performance in game one. She led off with a walk and promptly stole second. She came around to score on a single by Paige Collings. Botelho followed with a single of her own and Collings came home on a wild pitch from Noel. Jenn Reading and Rachel Campbell drew walks to push home a run and Caprice DeMirjian drove in two runs on a grounder to short to make it a 5-0 Drexel game.

The Leopards quickly answered with two runs in the bottom of the first on RBI hits by Jordan Parsons and Stacey Kushner. They drew within two runs on a sacrifice fly by Kasey Karr in the third inning and appeared to be reeling in the Dragons after their big first frame.

Much to the chagrin of the home team, however, Drexel negated all three runs with three of its own in the very next inning.

Campbell doubled to lead off and stole third before coming in on a single by DeMirjian. With DeMirjian and Bachmann on base, the hot-hitting Kelly Downes brought both home with a single to put Drexel on top 8-3.

The relentless Dragons would score four more runs in the top of the fourth, three of them coming on an error by the right fielder on a fly ball hit by Bachmann. Downes drove home Bachmann with her third hit of the game, giving Drexel a 12-3 lead.

Again the Leopards responded in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs to stave off a second early ending. A bases-clearing double from Kristin Garganio scored three for Lafayette and made it a 12-6 game. Hillary Allen, the winner in game one, relieved starter Katrina Gaudier to stem the tide in the fourth.

Collings capped a big day with her second home run of the season in the top of the seventh to stretch Drexel's lead to seven runs.

Allen ended the slugfest, but not before Stacey Dorn doubled home Kerry Griffin to make it a 13-7 game. Allen would strikeout the next batter and draw a game-ending groundout to complete Drexel's doubleheader sweep and earn her second win of the season.

Gaudier threw the first three and one-third innings and allowed five earned runs on nine hits and two walks with two strikeouts. But she did not pitch the requisite four innings to be eligible for the win. Allen allowed one earned run on four hits in three and two-thirds innings to improve to 6-4 on the season.

Jordan Parsons went 3-for-4 in the game with an RBI for the Leopards and she was one of four Lafayette batters to record multiple hit games. Emily Noel incurred the loss after giving up five runs, three earned, and failing to get out of the first inning.

Drexel is back home this weekend when the Dragons host UNC Wilmington in a trio of conference games starting with a doubleheader at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.