Collings Reaches 100-Hit Plateau In Drexel's Rout of Marist

Friday, February 25

Charleston, S.C.

6:00 p.m.

Drexel University

Marist

Collings Reaches 100-Hit Plateau In Drexel's Rout of Marist

2/25/2011 8:13:09 PM | Softball

Box Score

Charleston, S.C. – Paige Collings recorded her 100th career hit while going 3-for-4 and helping the Dragons pick up their first win of the season in convincing fashion 11-3 over Marist. The contest ended in the sixth inning after the eight-run mercy rule was invoked on an RBI single by Amanda Bachmann.

Rachel Campbell went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored in the game. Rookie pitcher Shelby Taylor picked up her first career victory by allowing three runs on four hits and two walks through six innings while striking out five batters.

Marist staked itself to a 3-0 lead in the first inning while capitalizing on some erratic pitching by rookie Shelby Taylor and a two-RBI double by the Red Foxes' Nicole DiVigilio.

The Dragons responded by loading the bases in the bottom of the first for hot-hitting Hillary Allen. Allen stroked a single to left center plating two runs and trimming the Red Foxes' lead to 3-2.

The Dragons roared back in the bottom of the second inning to score four runs on five hits and a fielding miscue by Marist. Campbell put her team on top in the inning when she drove a single up the middle to score Devon Metcalf and Stagliano. She aggressively took second on the throw home and took third on a wile pitch. This heady base running proved to be important when Jenn Reading followed with a single to center to score Campbell and give the Dragons a 5-3 lead. Amanda Bachmann reached on an error by the shortstop which allowed Reading and Collings to scamper home with the fourth and fifth run of the inning.

A bit of opportunistic base running by Laura Stagliano allowed the Dragons to tack on another run in the third inning. The senior centerfielder singled with two outs and stole second before coming home on a Campbell RBI single to give Drexel a 8-3 lead.

Collings picked up the milestone hit with lead-off double in the fourth inning.

After getting knocked around in the first inning, Taylor settled down to hold Marist to just two hits over the next five innings. She faced her greatest test in the sixth inning when Megan Lamoureaux lead off with a triple. Taylor steeled her resolve to induce a ground-out by pinch hitter Nicole Van Loan before fanning the number six and seven batters to end the inning without surrendering a run.

The Dragons responded to Taylor's gritty performance by giving her three more runs of offensive support to invoke the eight-run rule and end the game. The Dragons got the decisive margin with a two-run pinch-hit homer by Kelly Downes and a two-out RBI single by Bachmann to end the game at 11-3.