Allen's All-Around Effort Not Enough to Lift Drexel in 4-3 Loss to Virginia

Saturday, February 12

Buies Creek, N.C.

11:00 a.m.

Drexel University

Virginia

Allen's All-Around Effort Not Enough to Lift Drexel in 4-3 Loss to Virginia

2/12/2011 1:05:55 PM | Softball

Box Score

Buies Creek, N.C. – Hillary Allen did her best to give the Dragons (0-3) their first win of the season, throwing a complete game and going 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and her first homer of the season, but it was not enough as the team came up just short in a 4-3 loss to Virginia.

Junior Paige Collings, who set the program's single-season record with eight homers last year, punched her first round-trip ticket of the season and freshman Jess O'Hara recorded her first career hit.

Allen threw all six innings for the visiting team, allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk and striking out one Cavalier.

Stephanie Coates started for Virginia and allowed all three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out two batters. Melanie Mitchell relieved Coates in the fifth inning to record the final nine outs, five via strikeout.

Virginia took a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a two-out RBI single by Stephanie Harris with Allen on the rubber.

Allen helped out her cause by popping a lead-off homer to start the second inning and square score. For a moment it appeared as if the Dragons would continue to build on that run as rookie Jess O'Hara knocked her first career it into center field and stole second. Stagliano reached on an error, giving the Dragons runners on the corners with two outs. But Parrish would ground out to short to end the inning.

The Drexel hurler gave herself a one-run lead with an RBI double to plate Rachel Campbell in the third inning.

The middle of Virginia's lineup sprung to action in the bottom of the frame to produce the tying and go-ahead runs. Marcy Bowdren led off with a double to center and clean-up hitter Stephanie Harris followed with a single. Alexa Martinez singled Bowdren home and took second on the Dragons' throw to the plate. The aggressive base running paid off when Alex Skinkis singled up the middle, scoring Harris and allowing Martinez to take third. She would then come home on a ground out by Kristen Hawkins to give Virginia a 4-2 lead.

Collings led the Dragons from behind in the fifth inning with a lead-off homer to make it 4-3 game. Allen followed with her third hit of the game, a single to center. The Dragons were unable to move her around, however, as Katy Harrington popped up a bunt and Jenn Reading and Jess O'Hara struck out to end the inning with the Dragons still trailing.

Virginia reliever Melanie Mitchell would retire the final nine Drexel batters in order with five strikeouts to close out the game.

The Dragons will get another crack at Virginia in the consolation game of the Hampton Inn Tournament at 4:00 p.m.