Softball Sweeps First Two Games at Camel Stampede Tournament

Friday, March 16

Buies Creek, N.C.

1:30 p.m.

Drexel University

N.C. Central

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Softball Sweeps First Two Games at Camel Stampede Tournament

3/16/2012 11:45:00 PM | Softball

NC CENTRAL BOX SCORE
CAMPBELL BOX SCORE

BUIES CREEK, N.C. - The Drexel softball team traveled to North Carolina for its final preseason tournament of the year, and got itself off to a strong start on Friday when they swept a doubleheader against NC Central and Campbell. The Dragons held off a late rally by NC Central in the first contest, winning 6-5. They then used a late comeback of their own to defeat the host Campbell Fighting Camels, 9-6 in the nightcap.

Maddison Timoteo hit her first home run in the tournament opener as Drexel scored five runs in the third inning, three unearned to build a 6-0 lead. NC Central got back in it with a four-run sixth inning, and closed to within a run in the seventh, but could not complete the comeback. Shelby Taylor evened her record at 4-4 with the victory, while Hillary Allen earned her first save.

In Game Two, Drexel spotted the Camels a 6-1 lead after the fourth inning, but scored a run in the fifth, four in the sixth and three more in the seventh to pull away with a 9-6 victory. Hanna Parrish drove in the game-winning runs with a two-run double in the seventh, as Allen pitched a complete game to improve her record to 4-5.

The first game got off to a good start for Drexel when Jenn Reading hit her team-best third home run of the season to straightaway center field to lead off the second inning. Taking that 1-0 lead into the third inning the Dragons, who were the home team for the contest, got back-to-back singles from Taylor and Comfort Ahonkhai to open the frame. With runners on first and second and no one out, Parrish put down a perfect sacrifice bunt. So perfect, in fact, that Central's catcher hurried her throw and threw the ball away. Taylor came around score and Ahonkhai moved to third. Parrish promptly stole second base, and Devon Metcalf followed with an infield single that plated Ahonkhai and moved Parrish up to third base.

After a Paige Collings sacrifice fly brought Parrish home and Reading was retired, Timoteo stepped to the plate and crushed her first home run of the year to deep left field, a two-run shot that gave Drexel a 6-0 lead.

Central started Bianka Molina settled down from there, allowing just two singles over the game's final four innings. The Eagles, meanwhile, chipped away, scoring four runs in the fifth off Taylor, including back-to-back home runs by Cember Carmichael and Shakemia Edwards. They added a run in the sixth and had the tying run on third base in the seventh, but Allen shut the door for her first save of the season to clamp down the victory.

In Game Two, it was the opposite story. Campbell jumped out on top with a four-run first inning, and after Metcalf drove in Ahonkhai with a bunt single in the third, the Camels added two more in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 6-1 advantage.

From there, the Dragons buckled down. Allen allowed just one hit over the final three innings as her teammates got to work at the plate. Collings scored the team's second run in the fifth, an unearned run on a throwing error as the Campbell second baseman tried to make a play on an Allen ground ball. In the sixth, the Dragons tied the score with a four-run inning started by two-straight walks drawn by Sylvia Llamas and Ahonkhai with one out. After Metcalf singled to load the bases, Collings' base hit behind the bag at second base brought Llamas and the speedy Ahonkhai home. Metcalf scored on a base hit up the middle by Reading, and a wild pitch by Julia Callicutt, who was nearing the end of her rope as the Campbell starting pitcher, plated Collings.

With the score all tied at six, Caprice DeMirjian opened the seventh inning with a base hit to center field. She moved up on a Llamas sac bunt, and after Ahonkhai walked, Parrish drove both home by ripping a double to the gap in left-center field. Drexel had come all the way back from five runs down, and led by two in the seventh inning. They plated an insurance run when Collings drove home Parrish with a two-out single up the middle.

Collings finished with three hits, three runs batted in and two runs scored as Drexel completed the sweep on Day One.

The Dragons will return to action on Saturday, playing both NC Central and Campbell a second time as they wrap up play at the Camel Stampede Tournament. They square off with NC Central at 11:00 a.m., and Campbell is scheduled to get underway at 1:30 p.m.