Dragons Fall Short of City Rival Saint Joseph's 9-3 at Drexel Field

Thursday, April 14

Drexel Softball Field

3:00 p.m.

Drexel University

Saint Joseph's

Dragons Fall Short of City Rival Saint Joseph's 9-3 at Drexel Field

4/14/2011 5:40:54 PM | Softball

Box Score

Philadelphia – Saint Joseph's scored four runs in the first inning and a series of Drexel errors threw a blanket over a series of comeback opportunities as the Dragons fell to their city rival 9-3 at Drexel Field. Comfort Ahonkhai supported her promotion to the lead-off spot with a 2-for-3 performance for the Dragons.

Monica Aguilar and Rochelle Christman led the Hawks' offense, driving in five of the team's nine runs. Aguilar went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and Christman was 2-for-5 with a two-run homer. Lead-off hitter Dana Parks was 3-for-5 and scored four runs for the Hawks.

Shyann Beach took the loss for the Dragons, despite pitching just the first inning. She allowed four runs, but was charged with just one earned run on two hits. Shelby Taylor threw the final six innings for Drexel, allowing two earned runs on 10 hits and four walks and striking out seven batters.

Erin Gallagher improved to 19-7 for the Hawks with a complete-game victory. She scattered four hits and walked seven while striking out six Dragons.

In the first inning the Hawks were on the beneficial side of the game of inches that softball can be at times. A two-run single by Monica Aguilar found its way under the glove of a diving Amanda Bachmann at second base. Two batters later Rochelle Christman's flay ball to right center hit the top of the fence and bounced over for a home run to give the Saint Joseph's a 4-0 lead.

Some excellent hustle by Jenn Reading allowed the Dragons to chip away at the Hawks' lead in the bottom of the second inning. Reading drew a walk and advanced on a passed ball. With Devon Metcalf at the plate she stole third base while catching the Hawks in a lull. A batter later, Reading would scamper home from third on a wild pitch by Gallagher with Caprice DeMirjian at the plate.

The Dragons threatened in the bottom of the third when Ahonkhai pushed a bunt past the charging third baseman and beat the throw to first. The throw sailed high of first baseman Alaina Loguidice, which allowed Ahonkahi to take second. She advanced to third on a ground out by Stagliano and after Gallagher walked Rachel Campbell the team's leading run producer Paige Collings stepped to the plate. After a five-pitch battle, Gallagher would get the best of Collings with an inning-ending ground out to second base.

Saint Joseph's pulled back ahead by a four-run margin in the fourth inning when Aguilar singled home Dana Parks from second base to make it a 5-1 game. After walking Shannon Kramer to follow Aguilar, Shelby Taylor settled down to strike out Rochelle Christman and get out of the inning.

A Dana Parks single through a drawn-in infield brought home another run for the Hawks in the fifth. And with runners on second and third and two outs in the inning Laura Cardone hit a liner that was misplayed by a charging Hanna Parrish at short, allowing one run to come in before Parrish caught the trail runner in a run-down play at home for the final out.

Faulty fielding in the sixth inning gave the Hawks another run and an 8-1 lead. Morgan Earling cued a hit at Amanda Bachmann at second base with runners on first and second and two outs. Bachmann opted to play the ball on a bounce, but the spin forced it to take an unexpected hop that the second baseman could only smother while Kramer sprinted home with the Hawks's eighth run of the game.

Drexel mounted rally in the bottom of the sixth when Rachel Campbell walked to lead off the inning and took second and third when Gallagher uncorked a pair of wild pitches to her new backstop Earling. Collings drew a walk and with no outs Jenn Reading bounced a ball to first baseman Lindsay Williams. Williams went home with the throw, but Campbell slid under Earling's tag. Maddison Timoteo followed with an RBI ground out to second base to make it an 8-3 game. The Dragons had a chance to do some more damage when DeMirjian drew a walk to give Drexel runners on first and third and two outs, but Bachmann grounded out to second base to end the inning.

The top of the Hawks' lineup answered in the top of the seventh with another run. Parks punched a ball to short that was mishandled by Parrish. After stealing second base she came home on a gapper by Laura Cardone that went for a double. Taylor sandwiched strikeouts around another infield error and Campbell fought off the sun to make an inning-ending catch in right field to end the Hawks' threat.

With their backs to the wall in the seventh inning, Drexel led off the inning with a pair of singles by Ahonkhai and Stagliano. But the rally stalled out after a ground out by Campbell that advanced the runners, Collings struckout looking and Reading popped out to second base to end the game.

The Dragons will travel south for a three-game set at UNC Wilmington this weekend in CAA play. Opening pitch on both Saturday and Sunday will be at 12:00 p.m.