Friday, May 4
Newark, Del.
1:00 p.m.
Drexel University
1
at
2
Delaware
Photo by: Greg Carroccio
Softball Remains in the Hunt with Doubleheader Split at Delaware
5/4/2012 6:28:00 PM | Softball
GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE
NEWARK, Del. – Needing to win at least one game in order to keep hopes of a CAA Tournament berth alive, the Drexel softball team did just that, splitting a doubleheader at Delaware. Drexel dropped the first game, 2-1, before winning the second, 2-0.
Shelby Taylor pitched a complete game shutout in the second game, allowing just two singles while striking out three. Amanda Bachmann provided the only runs she would need when she hit her second home run of the year, a long shot to left field. Hillary Allen took the loss in the first game, despite not allowing an earned run.
The Dragons worked out of an early jam in the first game thanks to a heads up play by Caprice DeMirjian. After a leadoff triple by the Blue Hens' third baseman Jessica Grisler, Michelle McKinnon squared to bunt, putting down a nice roller between the circle and third base. DeMirjian charged in, gloved the ball and flipped it to Paige Collings covering the plate to nail Grisler and prevent a run.
The Blue Hens got on the board in the third, when two errors hurt the cause of starting pitcher Hillary Allen, who had gotten the first two outs of the inning uneventfully. With two outs and no one on, Grisler reached on an error by Devon Metcalf, who could not handle a sharply-hit grounder. Alicea Coy followed immediately with a long double off the fence in left field, sending Grisler all the way around to score. The next batter, McKinnon, sent a roller to second that Sylvia Llamas bobbled, then could not pick up as Coy alertly forced the action and came around to score the inning's second run.
Drexel got a run back in the fifth. Leading off the frame, Allen smoked a double the opposite way to the gap in right-center field. One out later, DeMirjian blooped a single to right. Allen had to hold to make sure the ball dropped, so she was only able to move up to third base. Comfort Ahonkhai brought her home when she slashed a base hit through the left side of the infield, which was guarding against a bunt.
Allen put together an outstanding effort to keep the Dragons close. Allowing no earned runs, she pitched the complete game, striking out three. She also had the hit that sparked Drexel's lone run, and was robbed of a single leading off the seventh when Lara Andrews made a shoestring catch of her sinking line drive to center field.
In the second game, it was Delaware that dodged an early bullet. In the second inning, Blue Hen starter Hannah Rust walked Jenn Reading to lead things off. Maddison Timoteo then hit a hard grounder to third that got by Grisler. It was ruled an error, and the bases were loaded moments later when Amanda Bachmann laced a sharply-hit ball through the middle. In came Ggame One starter Chenxi Jiao, who got a foul pop up and two strike outs to leave the bases loaded and keep the Dragons off the scoreboard.
One inning later, Hanna Parrish led the third off with her eighth triple of the season, tying a Drexel school record. Again, though, the Blue Hens were able to escape damage when Devon Metcalf fouled out to the first baseman about 15 yards behind the bag at first. Parrish tried to tag, but was caught in a run down after Marisa Newman made a strong throw, and was eventually tagged out.
Drexel finally broke through in the fourth inning. With one out, Jiao plunked Timoteo, putting a runner on first base. Up stepped Amanda Bachmann, who crushed her second home run of the year over the tall fence in left field, caroming off a car parked behind the wall and giving the Dragons a 2-0 lead.
Shelby Taylor, meanwhile, put together yet another outstanding effort. After allowing a leadoff single to Grisler in the first inning, Taylor did not cede another base hit until there were two outs in the fifth inning, again a single by Grisler.
That would be all the offense Delaware could muster against the sophomore, who won her 12 th game of the year while pitching her third shutout.
With the win, the Dragons kept themselves in the picture for a CAA Tournament berth. At the conclusion of play, they sat one game behind Towson for fourth place, tied with Delaware. The Tigers, who lost in the front end of a doubleheader at James Madison on Friday 1-0, were still in action in Game Two as play wrapped up in Newark. Both the Dragons and Blue Hens require a Towson loss to remain in the hunt heading into the season's final day.
Drexel and Delaware will conclude their series and the regular season on Saturday, when they play a single game. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
GAME TWO BOX SCORE
NEWARK, Del. – Needing to win at least one game in order to keep hopes of a CAA Tournament berth alive, the Drexel softball team did just that, splitting a doubleheader at Delaware. Drexel dropped the first game, 2-1, before winning the second, 2-0.
Shelby Taylor pitched a complete game shutout in the second game, allowing just two singles while striking out three. Amanda Bachmann provided the only runs she would need when she hit her second home run of the year, a long shot to left field. Hillary Allen took the loss in the first game, despite not allowing an earned run.
The Dragons worked out of an early jam in the first game thanks to a heads up play by Caprice DeMirjian. After a leadoff triple by the Blue Hens' third baseman Jessica Grisler, Michelle McKinnon squared to bunt, putting down a nice roller between the circle and third base. DeMirjian charged in, gloved the ball and flipped it to Paige Collings covering the plate to nail Grisler and prevent a run.
The Blue Hens got on the board in the third, when two errors hurt the cause of starting pitcher Hillary Allen, who had gotten the first two outs of the inning uneventfully. With two outs and no one on, Grisler reached on an error by Devon Metcalf, who could not handle a sharply-hit grounder. Alicea Coy followed immediately with a long double off the fence in left field, sending Grisler all the way around to score. The next batter, McKinnon, sent a roller to second that Sylvia Llamas bobbled, then could not pick up as Coy alertly forced the action and came around to score the inning's second run.
Drexel got a run back in the fifth. Leading off the frame, Allen smoked a double the opposite way to the gap in right-center field. One out later, DeMirjian blooped a single to right. Allen had to hold to make sure the ball dropped, so she was only able to move up to third base. Comfort Ahonkhai brought her home when she slashed a base hit through the left side of the infield, which was guarding against a bunt.
Allen put together an outstanding effort to keep the Dragons close. Allowing no earned runs, she pitched the complete game, striking out three. She also had the hit that sparked Drexel's lone run, and was robbed of a single leading off the seventh when Lara Andrews made a shoestring catch of her sinking line drive to center field.
In the second game, it was Delaware that dodged an early bullet. In the second inning, Blue Hen starter Hannah Rust walked Jenn Reading to lead things off. Maddison Timoteo then hit a hard grounder to third that got by Grisler. It was ruled an error, and the bases were loaded moments later when Amanda Bachmann laced a sharply-hit ball through the middle. In came Ggame One starter Chenxi Jiao, who got a foul pop up and two strike outs to leave the bases loaded and keep the Dragons off the scoreboard.
One inning later, Hanna Parrish led the third off with her eighth triple of the season, tying a Drexel school record. Again, though, the Blue Hens were able to escape damage when Devon Metcalf fouled out to the first baseman about 15 yards behind the bag at first. Parrish tried to tag, but was caught in a run down after Marisa Newman made a strong throw, and was eventually tagged out.
Drexel finally broke through in the fourth inning. With one out, Jiao plunked Timoteo, putting a runner on first base. Up stepped Amanda Bachmann, who crushed her second home run of the year over the tall fence in left field, caroming off a car parked behind the wall and giving the Dragons a 2-0 lead.
Shelby Taylor, meanwhile, put together yet another outstanding effort. After allowing a leadoff single to Grisler in the first inning, Taylor did not cede another base hit until there were two outs in the fifth inning, again a single by Grisler.
That would be all the offense Delaware could muster against the sophomore, who won her 12 th game of the year while pitching her third shutout.
With the win, the Dragons kept themselves in the picture for a CAA Tournament berth. At the conclusion of play, they sat one game behind Towson for fourth place, tied with Delaware. The Tigers, who lost in the front end of a doubleheader at James Madison on Friday 1-0, were still in action in Game Two as play wrapped up in Newark. Both the Dragons and Blue Hens require a Towson loss to remain in the hunt heading into the season's final day.
Drexel and Delaware will conclude their series and the regular season on Saturday, when they play a single game. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
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